Visit of Vice President of the Commission, St. Sejourné, to the METLEN facilities

New investments in critical raw materials, scandium and germanium, were announced by the President and CEO of Metlen Evangelos Mytileneos in statements he made during the visit of the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Mr. Stéphane Séjourné to the industrial facilities of Aluminium of Greece in Agios Nikolaos, Boeotia.

The visit took place on the occasion of the recent decision by the EU which recognized the Metlen investment in Boeotia for the production of gallium, which also falls into critical raw materials, as strategic. All three elements (gallium, scandium, and germanium) are produced during the processing of bauxite for the production of alumina and aluminum, which is the main activity of Aluminium of Greece.

In his statements, the Vice President of the Commission emphasized the importance of the investment in gallium for Greece and Europe. “Greece can play a very significant role in the matter of critical raw materials. It is important for the EU,” he emphasized, “to strengthen projects that reduce dependence. This specific project will cover 30% of Europe’s alumina needs. We worked closely with the Greek Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas at the college of commissioners for this particular project, especially for the critical raw materials that are of great importance for Greece and Europe. Currently, Europe depends 98% on imports for gallium and 87% for alumina. We need European sovereignty and therefore we support this project.”

“The Metlen investment for gallium production is an investment of a strategic and emblematic nature for the Greek, but also the entire European economy,” emphasized the Minister of Development Takis Theodorikakos. “It is directly related,” he added, “to the autonomy and security of both Greece and entire Europe. The Ministry of Development supports this investment in practice. Recently, it legislated and created the appropriate institutional framework for investments in critical raw materials in our country and the relevant committee of the Ministry of Development has already characterized this investment as emblematic. At the same time, all the necessary procedures to be supported with the decision of the interministerial committee on strategic investments are in full swing. The strengthening of the industry is a crucial priority for shaping a new production model for our economy and is at the center of the new development law promoted by the Ministry of Development in the coming period.”

The President and CEO of Metlen Evangelos Mytileneos raised the issue of the competitiveness of the European industry in relation to energy costs. “It’s a topic that has not received the necessary attention from the EU,” he emphasized.

The Metlen investment, with a budget of 295.5 million euros, will ensure a production capacity, on an annual basis, of 2 million tons of bauxite, 1,265,000 tons of alumina (from 865,000 tons today), and 50 MT of Gallium (for the first time). Thus, European gallium imports are fully replaced.

At the beginning of the week, the EU decision recognized the investment as being of strategic importance as it strengthens the Union’s strategic autonomy in three raw materials that have been categorized as critical.

It should be noted that the EU has established a list of 34 critical raw materials, which are essential for the implementation of the EU’s strategic options such as the green transition, the development of defense capability, etc., and for which supply needs are expected to increase rapidly in the near future.

Gallium is a by-product of bauxite processing and its production is almost exclusively in China, which imposed restrictions on its exports in 2023. It is typically used for:
-Integrated systems used in information and telecommunications,
-LED lamps,
-Permanent magnets, etc.

The goal of European legislation on critical raw materials (CRMA) is to ensure that European mining, processing, and recycling of strategic raw materials will cover 10%, 40%, and 25% of the EU’s demand by 2030, respectively.
The METLEN investment will be implemented in Agios Nikolaos Boeotia, within the limits of the “Aluminium of Greece” plant. (27/3/2025)

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