Dutch government mapping out Netherlands' access to rare raw materials
The Dutch government has commissioned a group of scientists to investigate and map out how Dutch companies obtain scarce raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. The scientists from the Netherlands Materials Observatory (NMO) will warn if raw materials risk becoming unavailable and will alert the government if the Netherlands becomes too dependent on a single country, RTL Nieuws reports.
Europe lists 34 “critical” raw materials, 17 of which are considered “strategic,” according to the broadcaster. “These are substances that we hardly find in Europe,” Allard Castelein, the special representative of raw material strategy, told RTL. They are typically found in Canada, Australia, many African countries, and Russia. “But more importantly, countries such as China have been trying to gain control of their entire value chain - from mine to production process - for many decades. With the current geopolitical tensions, it could well happen that access to these products will be reduced.”
These raw materials are critical in the production of items for defense, medical devices, and the energy transition. But they are also needed for more everyday devices like smartphones and batteries.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs wants to ensure that the Netherlands has a steady supply of these materials, which is why it asked the NMO scientists to map out the supply chain and identify risks. “Our picture is still incomplete and we cannot act fast enough when necessary in the event of supply risks,” said Minister Dirk Beljaarts.
