Kvanefjeld is a large-scale rare earth project with the potential to become the most significant western world producer of critical rare earths.
Understanding Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material
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Arbitration Proceedings
Energy Transition Minerals Ltd has filed a Statement of Claim with an arbitral tribunal seated in Copenhagen. The Claim pertains to its dispute with the Governments of Greenland and Denmark regarding the Company’s rights under its current exploration licence for the Kvanefjeld project. The full Statement of Claim will be provided on request to enquires address to moc.n1745653825imsna1745653825rte@n1745653825oitar1745653825tibra1745653825.
The Summary of Dispute and Statement of Claim are available here:
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Danish: Click Here to View
Greenlandic: Click Here to View
The project is located in southern Greenland in an area with year-round direct shipping access. To date, over 1 billion tonnes of mineral resources (JORC-compliant) have been delineated in the project area, across three different zones – Kvanefjeld, Sørensen and Zone 3.
Kvanefjeld has a number of unique attributes that make it attractive as a development opportunity. Mineralisation occurs as massive, bulk mineral resources, mostly outcropping, resulting in low mining costs. The ores are conducive to simple, cost-competitive processing. Once processed, the product can be exported year-round via direct shipping ports, providing a significant cost advantage to potential European customers.
Collectively, these attributes can potentially make Kvanefjeld a globally significant supplier of rare earths for many decades.
Kvanefjeld will consist of a mine, a concentrator and refinery, producing a mineral concentrate containing 20-25% rare earth oxide that will be upgraded to high-purity intermediate rare earth products in the refinery. The concentrator and refinery will also produce various by-products for sale, reducing the operating costs of the operation through revenue offsets.
Rare earth products are forecast to generate over 80% of the project’s revenue, with by-products contributing to the balance.
Mineral resource estimates have been established at three locations within the project area; Kvanefjeld, Sørensen, and Zone 3. The resource table, as of February 2015, can be viewed here: Mineral Resource Table
Environmental Impact Assessment
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) provides an assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the Kvanefjeld rare earth (REE) project (the Project) and describes the environmental management practices that will be in place during the Project’s construction, operations, closure and post-closure phases. The Project includes integrated mine, processing plant, and port facilities. The EIA was released for public consultation in 2020, following a lengthy process that commenced following the preparation of an initial feasibility study in 2010, including public consultation on the Terms of Reference of the EIA, technical studies, and feedback from regulators.
The Mineral Resources Act 2009 of Greenland requires mining companies to prepare an environmental impact assessment in connection with the development of any proposed mineral project. The Act stipulates that an exploitation licence for a proposed project will only be granted once the project’s environmental impact assessment has been accepted by the Government. An environmental impact assessment is to identify, predict and communicate the potential environmental impact of the planned mining project in all its phases – construction, operation, closure, and post-closure. The assessment should also identify mitigation measures designed to eliminate or minimize negative environmental effects, such measures being, as far as possible, incorporated into the project’s design.
The EIA was prepared in accordance with the Guidelines for preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment report for mineral exploration in Greenland (the Guidelines). These state that the aims of an environmental impact assessment are:
• To estimate and describe the surrounding nature and the environment, as well as the possible environmental impacts of the proposed project
• To provide a basis for the consideration of the proposed project for Naalakkersuisut [the Government]
• To provide a basis for public participation in the decision-making process
• To give the authorities all information necessary to determine the conditions of permission and approval of a proposed project
The Guidelines identify the requirements for impact assessments relating to:
• Environmental baseline studies, including background concentrations and variations, vegetation and fauna, and local use and knowledge
• Project related environmental studies, including quantifying potential sources of contamination such as ore, waste rock and tailings
• Discharges and emissions to the environment, including air and water emissions.
The Guidelines also specify the requirements for environmental management and monitoring plans.
The Guidelines require that the contents shall include the elements of:
• An environmental management plant
• An environmental monitoring plan
• As assessment of environmental impacts related to a closure plan.
These three documents are included as appendices to the EIA.
The EIA is the result of studies and assessments that commenced in 2011. A first version of the EIA was prepared by Orbicon and submitted in 2015. Project developments and feedback from the regulators were incorporated in revised submissions prepared by GHD in 2018 and 2019. The EIA was prepared by the Company drawing on the technical reports and studies prepared by a number of consultants.
The EIA is structured to consider Project impacts associated with each of the environmental factors set out below:
• Physical environment
• Atmospheric setting
• Radiological emissions
• Water environment
• Waste management
• Biodiversity
• Local use and local knowledge
• Cumulative Impact Assessment.
Click the following to download the Environmental Impact Assessment
