Greenland election shift signals new era for critical minerals development
Greenland – long regarded as a difficult place to operate due to anti-mining governments and seemingly the current centre of attention for US President Donald Trump – may be about to change its stance on critical minerals developments.
Commentators suggest that the election victory of the country’s centre-right opposition Demokraatit party and the defeat of the environmentally-focused Naleraq party will lead to the lifting of restrictions that have held back critical minerals developments.
Previous Greenland governments have been largely opposed to resource development, frustrating miners who have identified significant critical minerals and uranium potential.
Untapped potential
A report from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland has confirmed that the country has substantial untapped potential for critical raw materials.
These include rare earth metals, graphite, niobium, platinum group metals, molybdenum, tantalum and titanium—all of which are already or will become essential for the green transition.
The country’s resources have attracted the attention of European leaders, Australian miners and President Trump, who recently threatened to take over Greenland to gain access to its mineral wealth.
Kvanefjeld REE project
Demokraatit’s victory is positive news for Australian miner Energy Transition Minerals (ASX: ETM).
The company continues to advance multiple workstreams to support the development of its large Kvanefjeld rare earth element (REE) project.
There has been a noted surge in media and investor interest in Kvanefjeld following President Trump’s remarks.
Company visit
Key members of the company’s board and senior leadership team visited Greenland in early February.
The trip was planned to strengthen trust and collaboration, while promoting the company’s message that the development of Kvanefjeld would deliver tangible economic and social benefits for the community while aligning with Greenland’s environmental and sustainability goals.
The company’s wholly owned Greenlandic subsidiary – which holds the Kvanefjeld exploration licence – is actively engaged in arbitration and litigation against the governments of Greenland and Denmark concerning delays to the project.