The location of the Norra K\u00e4rr mineral deposit on a map of Europe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe mineral deposit formed from a batch of magma (molten rock) with a highly evolved composition approximately 1.5 billion years ago. The grennaite magma became enriched in REEs through a process called fractional crystallisation. This involved the slow crystallisation of a much larger volume of parental magma at great depth, where REEs were concentrated in the gradually decreasing volume of remaining magma. The remaining magma eventually rose through the Earth\u2019s crust and solidified to form the grennaite at a shallow depth.<\/p>\n
Grennaite is a fine-grained green rock classified as aegirine nepheline syenite in petrographic terms. It is characterised by high sodium and potassium concentrations relative to aluminium and a critically undersaturated silica content. In addition, grennaite holds abundant REEs, zirconium, niobium, and volatile elements fluorine and chlorine. This chemical state has led to the formation of exotic minerals such as eudialyte (chemical formula: Na15<\/sub>Ca6<\/sub>Fe3<\/sub>Zr3<\/sub>Si(Si25<\/sub>O73<\/sub>)(O,OH,H2<\/sub>O)3<\/sub>(Cl,OH)2<\/sub>), which is the primary host for REEs in Norra K\u00e4rr.<\/p>\nSubsequently, the grennaite was affected by mountain-building processes approximately one billion years ago, which occurred when Rodinia, the supercontinent before Pangea, was assembled. During this time, mountains as high as the Himalayas were present along the Swedish West Coast. The grennaite was scrunched up by tectonic forces and heated to the point where the rocks partially remelt. Rare earth elements were redistributed by the remelting process and deposited in coarse-grained veins (see Fig. 2).<\/p>\nFig 2: Fine-grained green grennaite with coarse-grained veins containing the minerals catapleiite and eudialyte, the latter of which is rich in rare earth elements.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe role of geological research<\/h3>\n Why is geological research important? Don\u2019t we know everything we need to know about these rocks by now? Even though the bottleneck for securing a sustainable supply of REEs in the European Union is not a geological understanding of the mineral resources, geologists have a role.<\/p>\n
Firstly, eudialyte-bearing alkaline igneous rocks, including the rocks investigated in Norra K\u00e4rr, have become one of the prime targets of rare earth mineral exploration, globally speaking. While eudialyte seems to be a promising source of REEs, there has never taken place any commercial mining or REE production from this mineral. Therefore, investigations into its mode of occurrence, chemical composition, and physical characteristics are of global importance. Ultimately, a better understanding of the mineral eudialyte will lead to more resource-efficient exploitation.<\/p>\n
Secondly, rocks tend to occur together in clans, associated in space and time. They are shaped by a common process, share a source of heat and fluids or a common tectonic framework. Therefore, an understanding of the formation processes of one deposit may guide the search for more deposits of the same type. While the age of the REE deposit at Norra K\u00e4rr is known with a high degree of confidence, similar rocks have not yet been identified.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, geologists play a role in communicating the state of raw material supply security to a broader audience of laypeople and decision-makers. We geologists know where metals come from and in which minerals they are found. Geologists have a bottom-up perspective on how dirt from the ground contributes to a sustainable supply of raw materials for society. We should stand with one boot firmly on the ground and with the other in the public debate.<\/p>\n
The social license at Norra K\u00e4rr<\/h3>\n The company operating the Norra K\u00e4rr project was granted a mining lease by the Swedish Mining Inspectorate in May 2013. A Swedish mining lease gives rights to the land for a duration of 25 years. This decision was appealed to the government, which in January 2014 decided not to revoke the mining lease. After another appeal, the Supreme Administrative Court of Sweden revoked the mining lease in February 2016. The company then had to complete their original application for a mining lease to the Mining Inspectorate. The Mining Inspectorate decided in May 2021 to not award a mining lease to the company. The company has appealed the Mining Inspectorate\u2019s decision to the government. In addition to a mining lease, Swedish mining projects also need to secure an environmental permit.<\/p>\n
The Norra K\u00e4rr project is located 1.5km from the shore of Sweden\u2019s second-largest lake, V\u00e4ttern, which is a source of drinking water for 250,000 people. Citizens, organisations, and politicians have expressed concerns that mining in their backyard could adversely affect the local environment and, ultimately, the water quality in the lake. Although a survey in 2014 showed that fewer than half of the locals were directly opposed to the project, there is a significant amount of resistance and protest by a concerned local community. This is a community that feels heavy pressure coming from the European Union, which believes a mine at Norra K\u00e4rr would be an essential contribution to securing a primary supply of REEs.<\/p>\n
The road to a domestic supply of REEs is long, and it has been a bumpy ride so far. I cannot help but conclude: we are not there yet.<\/p>\n
Please note, this article will also appear in the ninth edition of our\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>quarterly publication<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nReferences<\/h3>\n 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bowell, R.J., Chapman, C., McDougall, C., Martindale, R., Pittuck, M., 2021. Preliminary Economic Assessment of Norra K\u00e4rr Rare Earth Deposit and Potential By-Products, Sweden<\/em>.<\/p>\n2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 European Commission, 2020. Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a Path towards greater Security and Sustainability<\/em>. Report COM(2020) 474 final.<\/p>\n3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gadolin, J., 1794. Unders\u00f6kning af en svart tung Stenart ifr\u00e5n Ytterby Stenbrott i Roslagen. Kongliga Vetenskapsacademiens Nya Handlingar<\/em> 15, 137\u2013155.<\/p>\n4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gau\u00df, R., Burkhardt, C., Carencotte, F., Gasparon, M., Gutfleisch, O., Higgins, I., Karaji\u0107, M., Klossek, A., M\u00e4kinen, M., Sch\u00e4fer, B., Schindler, R., Veluri, B., 2021. Rare Earth Magnets and Motors: A European Call for Action. A report by the Rare Earth Magnets and Motors Cluster of the European Raw Materials Alliance<\/em>.<\/p>\n5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hisinger, W., Berzelius, J., 1804. Cerium, ein neues Metall aus einer Schwedischen Steinart, Bastn\u00e4s Tungstein genannt. Neues allgemeines Journal der Chemie<\/em> 2, 397\u2013418.<\/p>\n6\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sj\u00f6qvist, A.S.L., 2021. Ample Rare Elements: A Geochemical Anomaly in the Earth\u2019s Crust at Norra K\u00e4rr<\/em>. PhD thesis, University of Gothenburg.<\/p>\nAxel Sj\u00f6qvist<\/strong> \nGeologist, PhD<\/strong> \nDepartment of Earth Sciences<\/strong> \nUniversity of Gothenburg<\/strong> \nwww.gu.se\/en\/earth-sciences<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/AxelSjoqvist<\/a><\/strong> \nhttps:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/university-of-gothenburg\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Norra K\u00e4rr region in Sweden is home to mainland Europe\u2019s largest defined heavy rare earth mineral deposit. As the race to secure rare earth elements increases, Axel Sj\u00f6qvist of the University of Gothenburg outlines its significance. The transition to sustainable energy systems is taking place. The number of electric vehicles on our roads is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":17493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24204],"tags":[582,651,24134,24308,628,24307],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
The race for rare earth elements: A Swedish perspective<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n