Greenland’s subsurface is stirring global appetite

Greenland has increasingly become part of global discussions about important raw materials.

“There has not been any new research that suddenly made Greenland interesting. It is probably more due to major political and geopolitical trends,” says state geologist Mikael Pedersen from GEUS.

In other words, it’s not new discoveries that are driving attention, but global politics and concerns about supply chains, geologists explains in an interview at the beginning of June this year.

However, the debate about whether the current framework provides sufficient autonomy in Greenland has resurfaced, most recently on Constitution Day, where newly elected Member of Parliament Naaja Nathanielsen contributed to a discussion about the significance of the Danish constitution for Greenland.

“For the past 50 years, Greenland has had a parliament and a government and has had hands-on control over a number of developments. And there has constantly been pressure toward more and more self-determination, development, and autonomy,” says MP Naaja Nathanielsen (Inuit Ataqatigiit).

Growing interest linked to global politics

Experts say the increased focus on Greenland is mainly because countries want more secure access to important minerals. A big reason is that many Western countries want to rely less on China, which currently plays a major role in producing and processing rare earth elements.

These materials are used in many everyday technologies, including wind turbines, electric cars, batteries, and electronics.

“If a country like China chooses not to export, for example, rare earth elements, then a large part of industry in Europe and also in Denmark could suddenly have to shut down,” says Pedersen.

Because of this risk, the EU and companies in Europe are now looking for other places to get these materials. Greenland is often mentioned as one possible future source.

According to GEUS, Greenland may have good or moderate potential for around 25 to 27 of the 34 raw materials the EU considers critical. But researchers stress that this does not mean there are confirmed mines.

“Potential does not mean that there is actually a deposit. It only means that the geological conditions suggest there could be one,” explains geologist Diogo Rosa.

What we know and don’t know about Greenland’s resources

Some parts of southern Greenland are known to contain rare earth elements and metals such as hafnium, tantalum, and niobium. But large parts of Greenland have not been studied in detail because the area is remote and difficult to access.

“Greenland is very underexplored because it is so remote. There are areas where very few geologists have been, and therefore we simply know less about what is there,” says Rosa.

Even when minerals are found, there is another challenge: it is often difficult and expensive to extract them.

Rare earth elements, in particular, are found in minerals that are hard to process. This means the technology needed to extract them efficiently is still limited.

“The problem is that the rare earth elements are contained in minerals that we have not really learned how to process yet. That means it is very difficult to extract the metals from the minerals,” says Rosa.

Because of this, researchers believe that more traditional mining projects, such as copper or gold, may be developed earlier than rare earth projects.

“Perhaps we will actually see a gold or copper mine before a rare earth mine,” Rosa says. “Those metals are easier to process and easier to sell on the global market.”

Political debate also plays a role

At the same time, Greenland’s political future was also discussed during Denmarks Constitution Day, the fifth of June, by greenlandic representatives in the danish parliament in Copenhagen.

There, politicians and representatives debated Greenland’s relationship with Denmark and whether the current constitutional setup still fits Greenland’s development.

Member of Parliament Naaja Nathanielsen pointed out that Greenland has taken on more responsibility over the past decades through home rule and self-government, but that some areas, especially foreign policy, are still limited.

“The question is whether the constitution in its current form can accommodate the political development Greenland has undergone since the introduction of home rule,” she said.

She also outlined possible future paths: keeping the current system with more flexibility, changing the constitution, or eventually becoming fully independent.

Sara Olsvig, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said the discussion is also about the rights of Indigenous peoples and Greenlanders’ right to decide over their own future.

She stressed that future decisions should reflect Inuit values, including a close connection to nature and the idea that natural resources belong collectively to the people.

Hard road from resources to mines

Experts say Greenland’s minerals have become more interesting internationally because of global concerns about supply chains and dependence on China. But they also stress that turning these resources into actual mines is far from simple.

In an interview earlier this month, James Scott, associate professor at Aarhus University, explains that rare earth elements are not actually rare in nature, the challenge is finding them in large enough amounts to mine profitably.

“Greenland, especially southern Greenland, has high concentrations of minerals containing rare earth elements,” he says.

But mining is only part of the story. The real challenge often comes afterward, when the minerals have to be processed. This can involve strong chemicals and produce large amounts of waste.

“It is the processing that we often overlook. The chemical processes used to separate the different rare earth elements can have significant environmental consequences,” Scott explains.

Some of the waste can also contain naturally occurring radioactive materials, which makes handling more complicated.

Difficult conditions for mining

Even if deposits are found, it does not guarantee they will be mined.

Greenland’s climate, lack of infrastructure, and high transport costs make mining difficult and expensive. On top of that, companies depend on global prices and demand.

“There is a very long way from a geological occurrence to an actual mine. Extensive surveys, documentation, and approval processes are required before a project can become reality,” says Scott.

He adds that many of Greenland’s known deposits have been known for decades. What has changed is not the geology itself, but the growing global interest in the materials.

Greenland’s mineral resources are becoming more important in global discussions about technology and supply security. But they also raise broader questions about environmental protection and Greenland’s right to decide how its land and resources are used.