Ukraine’s Critical Minerals

Ukraine’s Critical Minerals Latest News

Recently, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a strategic minerals deal granting preferential U.S. access to Ukrainian mineral projects and establishing a joint investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

What are Critical Minerals and Rare Earths?

• Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals essential for making permanent magnets used in electric vehicles (EVs), smartphones, missile systems, and wind turbines.
• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) lists 50 minerals as “critical”, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths, due to their vital role in defence, aerospace, green energy, and electronics.
• These minerals have no commercially viable substitutes, making their supply chain strategically important.

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Ukraine’s Mineral Wealth

• Ukraine has 22 of the 34 minerals classified as critical by the European Union (EU).
• Major critical minerals in Ukraine include:
  • Rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, erbium, yttrium, and scandium.
  • Lithium, nickel, manganese, beryllium, gallium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and titanium.
• Graphite reserves in Ukraine account for approximately 20% of global resources, crucial for EV batteries and nuclear reactors.
• Lithium reserves are estimated at 500,000 metric tonnes, one of the largest in Europe. Key lithium areas include the central, eastern, and southeastern regions.
• Titanium is concentrated in the northwestern and central regions and is used in the aerospace and defence sectors.
• China dominates global rare earth production, making Ukraine a strategically attractive alternative supplier for Western economies.

Source: TH