Mineral-rich Greenland doesn’t want to become a great mining nation
Naaja Nathanielsen, Minister of Business and Mineral Resources of Greenland, speaks during her interview with AFP on 6 March 2025 at her Nuuk office in Greenland.
Strange Andersen | AFP | Getty Images
Greenland is very interested in using great resource potential to become the best mining country.
The world’s largest island has been pushed into the light of geopolitical spot in recent months, US President Donald Trump said that Washington had to control the autonomous Danish region again and even refused to exclude the use of military or economic power.
Trump’s search for Greenland comes because it describes the race of mining administrators as a “tremendous opportunity” of the racing of the Arctic Island, which is not largely used. But, Greenland’s harsh climate, distant landscape and lack of infrastructure were mentioned as obstacles to the island’s strategic potential.
Naaja Nathanielsen, Minister of Business and Mineral Resources of Greenland, said to CNBC to use some of the most valuable minerals of the region “absolutely possible and applicable”.
Nathanielsen told CNBC to “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday, “We have projects that I think are very promising: graphite, gold, copper, nickel, molybdenum and so on.
“But we are not really interested in being a big mining country for Greenland. We really want 5 or 10 active minerals at any time.” He said.
“We don’t have a very small population, so the whole country doesn’t have to be covered with mines for us. We are happy to manage a few and I think this is possible.”
Currently, Greenland, only two active minerals on the island, has manifested itself as a western alternative close to monopoly in China’s rare land elements.
Really 2023 questionnaire With the geological research of Denmark and Greenland (Geus), 25 of the 34 minerals known as critical raw materials by the European Commission were found in Greenland.
These minerals contain graphite, molybdenum and titanium, which is expected to play a key role in pivotic sources of more sustainable energy.
Mining operations
At the beginning of this week, mining development company Critical Metals Corporation announced In order to finance the Tanbreez Nadir Earths mine in Southern Greenland, the company received an interest letter from the United States Export-Icalat Bank for a loan up to 120 million dollars.
In particular, the financing package pointed out the first overseas investment of Trump administration in a mining project.
In this air view, the melting icebergs, on July 16, 2024 Ilulissat, Ilulissat Icefjord near Greenland crowded.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Greenland officials also recently approved A 30-year mining permit to benefit from Anorthite, an aluminum rock in a Danish-French mining group in a region in Western Greenland.
Separately, Greenland -oriented mining company Amaroq CEO Eldur Ofsson described Grönland as an “incredible country” to operate.
“Geology means that Greenland has traveled around the world for a geological time and has been exposed to most mineral sources,” CNBC said to CNBC on Thursday. He said.
“There is a fantastic jurisdiction of the regulation. It is based on Scandinavian principles and law.”
On March 10, 2025, Greenland, Nuuk, a general view of a settlement area of Greenland, on the eve of the parliamentary elections in Greenland, Autonomous Danish region. The two -day storm and light air tear political pole and molten snow posters in Greenland’s capital.
Strange Andersen | AFP | Getty Images
When asked how the US possibility of purchasing Greenland can affect the company’s operations and appearance, Olafsson Greenland’s fate was for Greenland to choose.
“In the end, Greenland will probably be an independent state supported by the Scandinavian countries and supported by the United States, just like Iceland.” He said.
Learning from the past
Nathanielsen from Greenland said that the region has “very high” environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards due to its previous issues related to mining pollution.
“The people of Greenland really support the mining industry, which is quite rare when you look at other judicial zones. But they do it because they have a high environmental standard and interested in local communities.” He said.
“And if we start to fold it, we will lose the support of people to this industry. This is really important for us. I think we learned from the past.”
