Highlights
- Norway discovers Europe’s largest rare earth deposit in Ulefoss
- Contains 9 million tonnes of rare earth oxides
- Presents potential to meet 30% of the EU’s demand by 2050
- The ‘Invisible Mine’ project aims to minimize surface disruption
- Focuses on innovative tunneling and waste management techniques
- Strategic project designed to reduce European dependence on Chinese rare earth imports
- Aligns with EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act goals
A major discovery under the village of Ulefoss, Norway, could become Europe’s first significant domestic source of rare earth elements, challenging China’s near-total control over the critical materials market. Rare Earths Norway (opens in a new tab), the firm spearheading the project, estimates the Fen deposit holds nearly 9 million tonnes of rare earth oxides — an amount that, while smaller than China’s giant reserves, vastly exceeds any other known European deposit. With access to clean hydropower, deepwater ports, and a nearby separation plant, Fen offers Europe a rare chance to rewire its supply chains — if the project can overcome major technical and political hurdles.
The company’s solution — an “invisible mine” — aims to minimize surface disruption by tunneling diagonally beneath Ulefoss and backfilling extracted voids with cemented waste. Early community surveys show strong local support, but concerns about stability, waste management, and the risks of another Kiruna-style collapse remain real. If successful, Rare Earths Norway would not only pioneer a new form of environmentally sensitive mining but also anchor a European rare earth strategy critical to the EU’s 2030 CriticalRaw Materials Act goals.
However, the road ahead is long and expensive. Commercial production is unlikely before 2035, with scaling targets aiming to meet 30% of the EU’s rare earth demand by 2050. Meanwhile, global competition for new sources — from Greenland to Africa — is heating up, and the EU’s strategic window to act is narrow. The Fen project’s success hinges not only on technical execution but on political will to sustain investment and fast-track permitting amid growing geopolitical pressures reports DW Planet (opens in a new tab).
At a time when China’s dominance of rare earths parallels Europe’s former dependence on Russian gas, the urgency is clear: build independent supply chains or risk repeating history. Fen is a crucial step — but Europe’s broader rare earth future remains far from secure.
Ulefoss, Norway
The Company
Rare Earths Norway (opens in a new tab) (REN) is a Norwegian mining company established in 2016 with the purpose of developing the Fen Carbonatite Complex, located in Telemark County, approximately 108 kilometers southwest of Oslo.
The company is jointly owned by Hustadlitt AS, a private, family-owned company with over 75 years of experience in mineral industrial activities, and Brennebu AS, a holding company based in Ulefoss, where the Fen deposit is located.
In June 2024, REN announced the discovery of Europe’s largest rare earth element(REE) deposit at the Fen Complex. An independent third-party estimatereported an inferred resource of 559 million tonnes at 1.57% total rare earth oxides (TREO), amounting to approximately 8.8 million tonnes of TREO. Notably, around 1.5 million tonnes of these are magnet-related rare earths, such as neodymium and praseodymium, which are critical for manufacturing electric vehicles and wind turbines.
REN plans to invest approximately 10 billion Norwegian kroner (about €870 million) to develop the Fen deposit, with the goal of commencing mining operations by 2030. The company aims to establish a complete and sustainable value chain “from mine to magnet,” minimizing environmental impact through advanced mining and processing technologies. A pilot plant is planned near the deposit in Nome municipality to test new extraction and processing methods.
This strategic project aligns with the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which seeks to ensure at least 10% of the supply of critical materials from domestic sources. Although Norway is not an EU member, it is part of the European Economic Area and plays a crucial role in supplying raw materials to Europe. The development of the Fen deposit is expected to significantly reduce Europe’s dependence on imported rare earth elements, particularly from China, which currently dominates global REE production and processing
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