Primary Rare Earth Resources in Europe: an Overview

The rare earth elements (REE) have been identified by the European Commission as among the most critical raw materials, due a combination of their economic importance and supply risks. The supply risk is not the result of a shortage of REE resources in the Earth’s crust, but is related to a concentration of production in China. A number of supply chain issues can be recognized, including: economic challenges that currently make it very difficult to open a REE mine outside China; complex ore mineralogy and textures, which mean that a specific beneficiation flowsheet must be developed for each REE deposit; the limited number of facilities for REE extraction and separation outside China; and potential environmental problems such as the common association of the REE with U and Th.