EU names four Dutch projects strategic for critical raw materials
Four Dutch recycling and processing projects get extra help with permits and better access to European funding after the European Commission designated them strategic.
The European Commission has designated four Dutch projects as strategic for securing Europe's supply of critical raw materials. They are run by Myne Circular Metals, Back2Battery, CRITICAL. and Mitsubishi Materials, and the label comes under the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act.
The designation gives the four companies extra guidance in the permitting process and better access to European funding, the Dutch government said. Minister Heleen Herbert of Economic Affairs and Climate called the selection "good news". She said Dutch companies can help secure supply and reduce strategic dependence.
Myne Circular Metals recycles low-grade scrap metal into high-grade secondary aluminium and copper, and aims to scale up to several EU plants of 50,000 tonnes a year each. Back to Battery converts lithium-ion battery material into lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite. It starts at 2,000 tonnes a year in the Netherlands and aims for 26,000 tonnes, about 10% of the European market in 2030.
Mitsubishi Materials focuses on secondary smelting and refining of copper and tungsten, with planned production of 60 kilotonnes of copper cathodes. CRITICAL. aims to recover critical raw materials and other metals from discarded circuit boards, starting with nine elements and eventually aiming for 24.
Critical Raw Materials Act
The European Union law designed to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of essential raw materials for Europe's economy. It aims to reduce reliance on single supply sources for materials critical to digital and green technologies by boosting extraction, processing, and recycling capacities across member states. Strategic projects in the Netherlands recognized under this act receive streamlined permitting and support to help meet these broader European supply goals.