Ensuring the availability of raw materials is an important part of the success of the energy transition, as the transition from oil-based fuels to renewable energy technologies requires significantly greater utilization of mineral based raw materials. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC) have estimated that the demand for raw materials needed for the energy transition will increase significantly in the coming decades. To meet this demand the need to produce raw materials will also increase significantly as recycled materials are unable to fulfil this need.
The production of raw materials needed in the energy transition is expected to grow also in the EU, as the Union is currently very dependent on imported raw materials and components. The EU region must also react to the changed competitive situation to maintain the operational capability and market position of its own industry, because the competition for raw materials caused by the energy transition is a global challenge. The EU has reacted to the situation with the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which aims to speed up the utilization, processing, and recycling of raw materials from both bedrock and mining waste areas in the Union's territory.
In terms of the EU, there are significant mineral deposits in Finland in several raw materials essential for the energy transition. In addition, there are several old mining waste areas in Finland whose raw material potential has yet to be determined. The energy transition therefore brings new opportunities for companies operating in Finland to utilize the raw material resources located here. Challenges arise in the coordination of various interests related to consumption, land use, ownership, and environmental protection, which both companies and the state must respond to.
From the point of view of the Finnish state, the challenge is to react to both the national obligations of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and to legislatively ensure the sustainable operating methods of mining and sufficient tax benefits for the state and municipalities.
As part of the REPower-CEST project, we investigate the availability of mineral-based raw materials critical to the energy transition in Finland. In addition, we study the opportunities, bottlenecks and obstacles of the Finnish mining sector and the value chains of critical raw materials in the context of the energy transition. The work carried out in the project supports the promotion of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) national obligations regarding raw materials from bedrock and mining waste areas, as well as database development.
Further information and publications
The Geological Survey of Finland is responsible for the content of this page, as part of the REPower-CEST project.