Greenland Approves European-Backed Mine in Remote Fjord
Greenland's government has issued a new mining lease to a French-Danish consortium for extracting anorthosite, a silicate mineral used for making aluminum and fiberglass. The license covers provisions for shipping, and the area includes a stretch of waterfront that could be used for industrial access at the ultra-remote mine site.
The new lease grants permission for development to Greenland Anorthosite Mining AS, a consortium led by French mining firm Jean Boulle Group. Other participants include state investment funds from Greenland and Denmark; Greenland's public pension fund; and the Danish bank Arbejdernes Landsbank.
The site (63 18 N / 50 07 W) is located south of the capital of Nuuk on Greenland's rugged west coast, inland from the village of Qeqertarsuatsiat. According to the partners, the resource is uniquely large and of "particularly excellent quality" for making E-glass - the high-tensile silicate glass used for fiberglass reinforcement. High-grade anorthosite is a less carbon-intensive feedstock for E-glass than traditional sources, the firm says; it can also be used as an alternative to bauxite for aluminum production.
The site is at the end of a long fjord, and it includes a small stretch of waterfront. The lease agreement anticipates shipping access: it specifies that any vessels used to serve the project (for development or for export) must meet appropriate Polar Code provisions; must carry a properly-licensed local pilot; and must carry insurance from a P&I Group member.
When developed, the lease area will be the second active anorthosite mine in Greenland. Under the lease terms, the partnership has to begin resource exploitation by the end of 2028 or seek an extension. If all terms are met, the lease will last for 30 years.
The lease agreement with a European consortium comes at a time of high tension with the White House over Greenland's mining rights and its continued existence as a sovereign territory. However, this particular application has been in the works with local support since at least 2020, long before the recent tensions began. Greenland Mineral Resources Minister Naaja Nathanielsen told media that despite the well-publicized American interest in the island's minerals, American mining companies have yet to commit to any investment deals - at least, not with the currently-available lease terms. Local rules require up-front investments in development, and it is not as easy in Greenland to acquire a lease and hold it for future use, Aalborg University associate professor Jesper Willaing Zeuthen told Newsweek.