Greece has approved a €340 million ($395 million) strategic investment that could turn the country into a key supplier of gallium for Europe, with production expected to completely cover EU demand. The decision strengthens Europe’s effort to secure critical raw materials at a time when advanced technologies, defense systems, and clean-energy industries increasingly depend on stable supply chains.
Greece’s Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments gave the project the green light, placing it among the country’s priority industrial initiatives. The approval also supports the EU’s wider push to reduce reliance on external suppliers for materials considered essential to technological competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
METLEN Energy & Metals, formerly known as Mytilineos Energy & Metals, will undertake the investment. The company already operates bauxite mining and alumina-aluminum production activities in Central Greece, placing it in a strong position in the production chain linked to gallium.
Gallium as a critical metal for Europe’s high-tech future
Gallium plays a key role in semiconductors, defense systems, artificial intelligence technologies, 5G infrastructure, high-performance electronics, satellite communications, radar systems, and next-generation photovoltaic systems. Demand for gallium has thus grown as Europe expands its technological and clean-energy capacity.
At the same time, geopolitical tensions and China’s export restrictions on gallium and germanium have pushed the EU to seek out more resilient supply chains. In that context, production is scheduled to begin in Greece in 2027, with the aim of covering EU demand and fully replacing Europe’s gallium imports by 2028.
Greece’s role in Europe’s gallium supply
Gallium is usually found as a byproduct of aluminum refining from bauxite ore. Therefore, Greece has a strategic advantage since METLEN operates across the bauxite, alumina, and aluminum production chain in Central Greece.
The company’s industrial base places it in a strong position to produce gallium at scale. In addition, its bauxite deposits in Boeotia contain relatively rich gallium concentrations, which adds to the project’s importance for Europe’s supply strategy.
METLEN has estimated that it could produce between 40 and 45 metric tons of gallium annually. That volume would allow Greece to cover current EU demand and strengthen Europe’s access to a material used in numerous strategic industries.
Rising gallium demand pushes EU to decrease reliance on China
The project comes as the EU seeks to reduce its dependence on third countries for key raw materials. Europe relies heavily on China for gallium, which supports chipmaking, solar photovoltaic cells, optical fibers, and other advanced technologies.
According to official data cited in earlier reporting, the EU sources 71 percent of its gallium and 45 percent of its germanium from China. However, only a small number of companies outside China can produce the high-purity metals required for advanced semiconductor and clean-energy applications.
That dependence has become a strategic concern for Brussels, especially after China restricted exports of gallium and germanium products on national security grounds. Consequently, the Greek investment adds another layer to Europe’s effort in building a more secure and independent supply chain.
