Released May 29, 2025 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Greenland said it is open to doing a minerals deal with China if the European Union (EU) or the U.S. fail to present alternatives.
"We want to develop our business sector and diversify it, and that requires investments from outside," Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland's Minister for Business and Mineral Resources, told the Financial Times. "We do want to partner up with European and American partners but if they don't show up I think we need to look elsewhere," she answered when asked if China would be a suitable partner. There are some Chinese companies with a minority stake in some inactive projects, but China has made no overtures to Greenland regarding an official minerals pact.
The country has become a hotbed of political debate in recent months, especially after the U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to take it by force in the interests of "national security" and for its rich and largely untapped rare earths and critical minerals resources. Industrial Info is tracking 15 proposed projects with an investment value of more than US$4 billion. Many of these projects, however, remain in the early stages of development. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.
Located in a geopolitically important spot in the Arctic, Greenland is the world's largest island and a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and they have not reacted favorably to President Trump's inflammatory statements. "We sort of hoped that the Trump administration would be more willing to engage in dialogue with Greenland about the mineral sector development. We got a bit more than we asked for, because we have no wish to be American," Nathanielsen said, calling his comments "disrespectful and distasteful." A memorandum of understanding on mineral development with the U.S. was signed under the first Trump Presidency but it is set to expire. Greenland's attractive natural resources will be very expensive and difficult to explore and extract due to a number of factors, not least of which is that snow covers 80% of the country, a severe lack of infrastructure and difficult planning restrictions. Last month, speaking to Politico, Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the country wants a minerals deal with the EU. "They get some fish from us, and on the other side we have a free market, we can export to the EU without any extra costs. But today, we want to expand our cooperation based on not only fisheries, we want to expand our cooperation on our critical minerals and energy. That's what Greenland has, and the rest of the world, our like-minded countries, need a greener future, renewable energy. We want to have cooperation with our critical minerals with our like-minded countries, and [the] EU is a good partner, we like them."
In the past week, Greenland has awarded a European consortium a 30-year licence to extract anorthosite - a white rock composed mainly of aluminium, micro silica, and calcium - at Piiaaffik Itersarmiut Allit, northeast of the settlement Qeqertarsuatsiaat, in West Greenland. Greenland Anorthosite Mining A/S (GAM), which has Danish and French backers, said that its deposit "is of uniquely high purity with low alkali and high aluminium content," making the raw material particularly suitable for use in fiberglass, "an essential material in the high-growth transport, construction and green energy sectors". It hopes to get the mine up and running within five years.
Nathanielsen said: "It is a great pleasure to be able to issue a new exploitation license for mineral resources. In recent years, the Government of Greenland has worked on reforming the area of mineral resources and simplifying the processes involved, while still maintaining our fundamental values to protect the environment and to look after society's interests. We now see the fruit of that labor. Development of mineral projects is one of the Government's instruments in pursuing the goal of a more independent economy. I congratulate the company, and I look forward to continuing the cooperation for the benefit of us all."
Wayne Malouf, chairman of GAM, said: "We are proud to pave the way for responsible natural resource development in Greenland after a sustained investment in patient and diligent activities during the preceding 20 years. The project will generate significant benefits for the local community and support the region's economic and social development for many years by facilitating the responsible supply of raw materials to serve global customers."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
"We want to develop our business sector and diversify it, and that requires investments from outside," Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland's Minister for Business and Mineral Resources, told the Financial Times. "We do want to partner up with European and American partners but if they don't show up I think we need to look elsewhere," she answered when asked if China would be a suitable partner. There are some Chinese companies with a minority stake in some inactive projects, but China has made no overtures to Greenland regarding an official minerals pact.
The country has become a hotbed of political debate in recent months, especially after the U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to take it by force in the interests of "national security" and for its rich and largely untapped rare earths and critical minerals resources. Industrial Info is tracking 15 proposed projects with an investment value of more than US$4 billion. Many of these projects, however, remain in the early stages of development. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.
Located in a geopolitically important spot in the Arctic, Greenland is the world's largest island and a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and they have not reacted favorably to President Trump's inflammatory statements. "We sort of hoped that the Trump administration would be more willing to engage in dialogue with Greenland about the mineral sector development. We got a bit more than we asked for, because we have no wish to be American," Nathanielsen said, calling his comments "disrespectful and distasteful." A memorandum of understanding on mineral development with the U.S. was signed under the first Trump Presidency but it is set to expire. Greenland's attractive natural resources will be very expensive and difficult to explore and extract due to a number of factors, not least of which is that snow covers 80% of the country, a severe lack of infrastructure and difficult planning restrictions. Last month, speaking to Politico, Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the country wants a minerals deal with the EU. "They get some fish from us, and on the other side we have a free market, we can export to the EU without any extra costs. But today, we want to expand our cooperation based on not only fisheries, we want to expand our cooperation on our critical minerals and energy. That's what Greenland has, and the rest of the world, our like-minded countries, need a greener future, renewable energy. We want to have cooperation with our critical minerals with our like-minded countries, and [the] EU is a good partner, we like them."
In the past week, Greenland has awarded a European consortium a 30-year licence to extract anorthosite - a white rock composed mainly of aluminium, micro silica, and calcium - at Piiaaffik Itersarmiut Allit, northeast of the settlement Qeqertarsuatsiaat, in West Greenland. Greenland Anorthosite Mining A/S (GAM), which has Danish and French backers, said that its deposit "is of uniquely high purity with low alkali and high aluminium content," making the raw material particularly suitable for use in fiberglass, "an essential material in the high-growth transport, construction and green energy sectors". It hopes to get the mine up and running within five years.
Nathanielsen said: "It is a great pleasure to be able to issue a new exploitation license for mineral resources. In recent years, the Government of Greenland has worked on reforming the area of mineral resources and simplifying the processes involved, while still maintaining our fundamental values to protect the environment and to look after society's interests. We now see the fruit of that labor. Development of mineral projects is one of the Government's instruments in pursuing the goal of a more independent economy. I congratulate the company, and I look forward to continuing the cooperation for the benefit of us all."
Wayne Malouf, chairman of GAM, said: "We are proud to pave the way for responsible natural resource development in Greenland after a sustained investment in patient and diligent activities during the preceding 20 years. The project will generate significant benefits for the local community and support the region's economic and social development for many years by facilitating the responsible supply of raw materials to serve global customers."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
