Translated by Google
Despite fast-tracks – mining company concerned about China’s dominance: 'Great situation'
Chinese President Xi Jinping, EU Industry Commissioner Stéhane Séjourné,
Emma Själin, Public Affairs manager at Talga. Picture: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wingailt, Svemin, Press Image
When the EU steps up the hunt for strategic metals and minerals, Swedish projects get key roles. But at the same time, the initiatives are grappling with long permitting processes and local resistance - and a market completely dominated by China. "They dump prices and use export bans to punish other countries,"
said Emma Själin at mining company Talga.
In recent years, the EU has taken a major step forward to increase the production of raw materials, in Europe, including by listing 34 minerals and metals that are considered strategic for our society and for welfare.
In addition, the European Commission recently announced that it has selected 47 European strategic projects to ensure access to critical raw materials.
“Today, for the first time, we have identified 47 new strategic projects that will help us secure our own access to raw materials. This is a crucial opportunity for European independence as an industrial force,” said EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné.
Five Swedish projects are on the list. LKAB receives the CRMA status of the Per Geijer discovery in Kiruna, for the plant in Malmberget that will separate rare earth metals from the ore, and for the planned demonstration plant (processing) for rare earth metals in Luleå.
“Important for the future of Sweden and Europe.”
The mining company Talga’s graphite mining in Vittangi, as well as Northvolt Revolts recycling of metals such as manganese, lithium, graphite, nickel and cobalt are now on the list of strategic projects.
“To Talga now, together with two other Swedish companies, get strategic project status within the EU signals how important Talga’s project is for Sweden’s and Europe’s future, both from a climate and security point of view,” says Emma Själin, Public Affairs Manager at Talga.
The company submitted its application in 2020. However, the establishment has been disputed and received sharp criticism from, among others, locals and Talma Sami village.
Emma Själin believes that there has also been strong opposition from the municipality that has refused to complete a detailed plan. In addition, there have been requests from the municipality for the mining company to finance housing.
This was highlighted, among other things,
in an article in DN during last year where Mats Taaveniku, municipal councilor in Kiruna (S) according to the article said that the municipality would be more positive about the mine if the company could give something back to the municipality. The mine is expected to employ about 60 people full-time.
“We have really experienced that the municipality’s side has made the process more difficult and dragged on,” says Emma Själin.
“We want to be an important part of society where we operate. But we cannot change government decisions for funding municipal activities.
“We have the entire value chain in Sweden.”
In the new mine, the company estimates that it will extract up to 120 000 tons of high-quality natural graphite per year. The goal is that the graphite will later be able to be used in Talgas battery anode plant in Luleå that will manufacture sustainable anode material for greener lithium-ion batteries.
“In this way, we have the entire value chain in Sweden. At present we have a test facility, a miniature of the future large-scale factory, which is meant to be built in Luleå.
“There we test the products against customers and the next step is that we develop ready-made agreements with our customers.
Graphite is used, among other things, in the manufacture of steel, batteries and cars – not least electric cars where there is a main ingredient in the batteries. Graphite is also included on the EU list of minerals and metals that are considered critical. Globally, it is China that currently controls the supply and has since 2020 stopped exports of graphite to Sweden.
"It is this that is nasty about China, that they can exploit their dominance on the world market by putting export restrictions on certain types of raw materials to punish for something else where they feel that they have been unfairly treated," Maria Sunér, CEO of Svemin, told TN recently.
“There is uncertainty that is extremely unprofitable.”
The EU imports around 100 000 tonnes of graphite every year, which means that 98% imports are 100% dependent on tariff supply imports. The market is dominated today by China, where according to SGU there are around 68 percent of the world's assets of graphite. The fact that China dominates the market means that they can influence the price picture of the market – both by making raw materials more expensive and cheaper.
“They are already dumping prices and using export bans as a tool to punish other countries. So it’s a really tough situation for the whole of Europe if we’re going to reduce dependence to an individual country,” says Emma Själin.
“With the deposit in Vittangi, we might be able to provide Europe’s needs to 10-15%.
Although there are deposits, there are currently no active graphite mines in Sweden. If Europe seriously wants to reduce dependence on China, it is important that we can open mines here, she says. The new graphite mine in Vittangi may mean that climate impacts can be reduced by over 90 percent compared to today's climate-heavy imports of synthetic graphite from Asia.
“It is very important that Sweden is on its toes both for its own sake and for Europe’s sake. It is not the case that you should be able to open a mine in a flash, but it can be made much smoother than it does in the current situation.
She believes that there is a problem around the Swedish permitting processes.
“There is an uncertainty that is extremely unprofitable. It's hard when you can't even set a timetable and get an indication that it can last.
"In addition, it is a problem that government decisions are questioned, as in this case. If you show the state that you can keep schedules and that the process is progressing, it increases the incentives to invest in the future of Europe.
När EU trappar upp jakten på strategiska metaller och mineraler får svenska projekt nyckelroller. Men samtidigt brottas initiativen med långa tillståndsprocesser och lokalt motstånd - och en marknad som helt domineras av Kina. "De dumpar priserna och använder exportförbud för att straffa andra...