Norway’s phosphate mine find to re-write the Western narrative

Norway's phosphate deposit is big enough to meet the global demand for the next 100 years.

Norge Mining, an Anglo-Norwegian company, announced the discovery of massive deposits of ultra-rich phosphate rock, vanadium and titanium in south-west Norway this June.

The deposit is estimated to contain 70 billion metric tons of phosphate rock, according to EURACTIV, an independent media company specializing in EU policy. This is about the same as the proven global reserves of phosphate, which are estimated to be 71 billion metric tons, per the US Geological Survey report 2022.

Phosphate, an essential element used for production in the fertiliser industry was part of the European Commission’s March proposal for a Critical Raw Materials Act.

Nearly 90 percent of mined phosphate rock is used for the production of phosphorous for the fertilizer industry, for which there is no substitute yet. Notably, the global food supply chain largely banks on the fertilizer industry, and is highly sensitive to price shocks, as seen in the initial days of the Russia-Ukraine geopolitical tensions.

Moreover, phosphorous is used for manufacturing solar panels, and next-generation lithium batteries for electric cars, semiconductors, and computer chips, owing to their higher energy density, enhanced safety, and longer life span than their lithium-ion counterparts.

The European Commission has flagged these products, manufactured in small quantities, as being of “strategic importance” in a bid to maintain Europe’s stand as a global powerhouse in the production of key technologies for green and digital transition.

Till date, the biggest phosphate rock deposits have been largely concentrated in the Western Sahara region of Morocco (50 billion tonnes), followed by China (3.2 tonnes), Egypt (2.8 billion tonnes), and Algeria (2.2 billion tonnes). Russia too has rich deposits of phosphate, vanadium and titanium. Virtually none of the biggest phosphate mines are in the West.

The recent discovery of the massive deposit of underground phosphate rock in Norway, however, changes the narrative. Being pitched as the world’s largest; this deposit is big enough to meet the rising global demand for fertilisers, solar panels, and electric-car for at least the next 100 years, as claimed by Norge Mining.

This crucial discovery comes amid the heated up metallurgical rivalry in Europe’s far north, at a time when economies and corporations are joining forces to find solutions to more sustainable ways of living in a bid to curtail the burden on non-renewable resources and bring down carbon footprint.

Also, countries have been aggressively trying to cushion their mineral reserves from export, given the rate at which the known supplies of high-grade phosphate rock are depleting on continued exploitation to meet the ever-rising global demand. These supplies are all restricted to four-five suppliers outside of Europe.

Norge Mining has wrapped up exploring after discovering that the deposit is larger than what was initially anticipated. It first made the discovery in 2018 when the deposit was estimated to extend 300 meters underground. However, it was later discovered that the deposit ran 4,500 meters deep – further than it is even possible to drill, the report said.

Michael Wurmser, Norge Mining’s Co-Ceo, stated that the new mines will be greener than the existing ones. The company intends to capture the carbon emissions from its operations and store the same.

While getting a green light for all environmental permits will be a daunting task, the mine is a high priority for the Norway government, as well as for Europe and the US. As discussed above, these minerals fall under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act and an American strategic-minerals scheme.

Since the phosphate deposit also contains vanadium and titanium, raw materials for the aerospace and defense sectors, “two significant airplane manufacturers” have already expressed their interest in the titanium deposit, as per EURACTIV.

Neighbouring Sweden recently discovered rare-earth metals in its far northern region. These ground-breaking discoveries will only act as strategic arms for the West in its ever-intensifying rivalry with Moscow and Beijing. And this is no less than a boon for Europe, to say the least.