Huge deposit of rare earth metals discovered in Sweden

[Dystopiary]

Europe's largest deposit of rare earth metals has been found in Sweden. The metals are used in the manufacture of mobile phones, hard drives and trains, and a lot of "carbon-neutral" technology.

No rare earths are mined in Europe at the moment and a Swedish minister hailed the find as a way of reducing the EU's dependence on China.
The discovery is also being seen as "decisive" for the green transition, given the expected rise in demand for electric vehicles and wind turbines.
Some 98% of rare earths used in the EU in 2021 were imported from China.
Over one million tonnes are reported to have now been found in Sweden's far north.

link to story on BBC

I found this (from yesterday) on where they were known to be located, as well environmental damage caused by their extraction, and how to lessen the impact:



link to article on Science News


Huge rare earth metals discovery in Arctic Sweden

 

[JimW]

Good news for resource independence but some concerns about noxious emissions: