Norway takes control of Europe’s largest rare earth project

Norway will take over the planning process for the Fen rare earth deposit—set to become Europe’s largest—in a move aimed at accelerating development after a significant upward revision nearly doubled its estimated size, the government said.

The Fen deposit is now estimated to contain 15.9 million metric tons of rare earth oxide in indicated and inferred resources, 81% more than a 2024 estimate, according to the project’s developer, Reuters reports.

Norway has no operational rare earth mines, and development of the southern Norway project is seen as part of Europe’s broader effort to reduce reliance on dominant supplier China.

“The Fen field could be of major significance for Telemark, Norway and Europe’s supply security and competitiveness,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement. Telemark is the region where Fen is located.

“To ensure future access to critical minerals, it is important to increase production both in Norway and in other countries with which we cooperate in terms of security,” he added.

Around 19% of the oxides in the deposit consist of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), key materials used in permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics and defence applications.

The government said it intervened at the request of local authorities, citing risks of land-use disputes and the need to balance competing national interests.

As in other parts of Europe, infrastructure projects in Norway—including onshore wind farms—have faced opposition from environmental and agricultural groups, slowing development timelines.

Rare Earths Norway, the project developer, expects production to begin in late 2031, with output of 800 tons of NdPr by 2032—equivalent to about 5% of European Union demand.

By Vafa Guliyeva