
Greece could emerge as a key player in securing Europe’s needs for the rare earth metal gallium, the German financial newspaper Handelsblatt notes.
“Greek company Metlen Energy & Metals SA is investing €295.5 million in the European Union’s first gallium production line. According to the company, production is scheduled to begin in 2027, aiming to completely replace Europe’s gallium imports by 2028,” the paper says.
It details Metlen’s next moves, citing statements made last week by Evangelos Mytilineos, the company’s CEO and major shareholder. Quoting Mytilineos Handelsblatt writes: “In this way, we enhance Europe’s self-sufficiency in critical raw materials and bolster Greece’s strategic position in the global market.”
Gallium is included on the US and EU lists of critical minerals
Gallium is included on the US and EU lists of critical minerals, owing to geological scarcity. China has recently announced restrictions on the export supplies of both gallium and germanium products, citing national security reasons.
The EU has urgently called on aluminum and zinc companies to investigate the production of key semiconductor metals.
Gallium arsenide has a similar structure to silicon and is a useful silicon substitute for the electronics industry. Widely used in semiconductors for high-speed and high-frequency devices such as smartphones, satellite communications, and radar systems. It primarily exists as a secondary element in bauxite ore, with its production primarily being a by-product of aluminum refining.
It is is a versatile metal with a range of applications across various industries due to its unique properties, including a low melting point, non-toxicity, and ability to form alloys.
Greece’s Metlen is ideal for gallium production
Located on the shores of Viotia in central Greece, Metlen, previously known as Mytilineos Energy & Metals, operates bauxite mines and an aluminum production facility. The family business is the only producer of bauxite, alumina, and aluminum in Europe involved in all stages of the production and supply chain.
This makes Metlen ideal for gallium production, especially since the bauxite mined in Boeotia is relatively rich in gallium, Handelsblatt notes.
Last year, the EU approached the Greek company and asked it to explore the potential production of gallium as a byproduct.
The company estimates it could produce 40 to 45 metric tons of gallium annually, which would currently cover European demand.
According to official data, the EU sources 71 percent of its gallium and 45 percent of its germanium from China, but there are only a handful of companies outside of China capable of producing the high-purity metals needed in chipmaking, solar photovoltaic cells, and optical fibers.