Norwegian Government Accelerates Development of Europe's Largest Rare Earth Deposit to Reduce Reliance on China
The Norwegian government has announced its decision to take over the planning of the Fen rare earth deposit, which is the largest in Europe, to expedite its development. This move follows a recent resource upgrade that nearly doubled the estimated size of the deposit to 15.9 million metric tons of rare earth oxide. The Fen deposit, located in Telemark, Norway, is seen as crucial for reducing Europe's reliance on China, which currently dominates the production and processing of critical minerals. The deposit contains significant amounts of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), which are essential for manufacturing permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, and defense applications. The government intervention aims to prevent land-use disputes and streamline the permitting process to ensure national and EU supply security. 
