Availability of Critical Raw Materials

Critical raw materials refer to many rare metals that are needed in projects relating to e.g. renewable energy, digital industry, and space and health technology. Up-to-date and researched information on mineral deposits and value chains containing these metals is important for clean transition and security of supply.

Finnish and European industry depends on the availability of mineral and metal products. The EU wants to improve regional access to critical raw materials and hence its self-sufficiency. The EU Commission’s Critical Raw Materials Act further strengthens the need for research data on critical raw materials.

Finland’s bedrock is known to have good mineral potential, but due to the weak exposure of the bedrock, the mineral potential is not fully known.

We aim to produce new information about the regional mineral potential, that is, the geological processes that have resulted in the mineral deposits. The main focus of the research is on critical raw materials.

Mineral system models and innovations based on our high-quality research enhance the effective exploration of critical raw materials. We combine geometallurgy, anticipation of mineral needs, and environmental and social licensing perspectives with mineral system modelling. We also offer process and utilisation studies of primary and secondary materials as well as i.a. life cycle management of battery minerals at GTK Mintec.

In addition, we produce knowledge and understanding of bottlenecks and vulnerabilities in industrial value chains. We monitor the development of the Finnish mineral sector and produce up-to-date information and situational awareness related to it.