The European Union Commission has granted Blue Moon Metals’ Nussir Project in northern Norway the designation of Strategic Critical Raw Material Project, marking a significant milestone for both the company and Norway’s mining sector.
This status, awarded under the 2023 EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), is designed to diversify the bloc’s critical mineral supplies and reduce its reliance on China.
The Nussir Project is the first in Norway to receive this prestigious designation and stands out as the only primary copper initiative among 13 global projects newly added to the EU’s strategic list.
The CRMA’s framework emphasises the importance of securing reliable sources of minerals essential for Europe’s green energy transition and economic security.
Located in Repparfjord, Kvalsund, within Hammerfest Municipality, the Nussir deposit sits strategically between the Øyen and Markoppnes industrial areas in Finnmark county.
The project’s selection followed rigorous technical, environmental, and social evaluations by independent experts to ensure compliance with the CRMA’s high standards.
With this new status, the Nussir Project will benefit from enhanced EU support, including improved access to public and private financing, as well as strong political backing.
These advantages are expected to accelerate its development and help Europe secure a cleaner, more sustainable supply of copper, a metal crucial for renewable energy technologies.
Blue Moon Metals CEO Christian Kargl-Simard commented: “Being defined as a Critical Raw Material Act Strategic Project is yet another milestone for Nussir and a strong endorsement of the work done to date.
“This inclusion will open up new opportunities for the company.”
He added: “We look forward to working together with the EU Commission and our stakeholders to maximise the local and regional benefits of the project, to support Europe’s self-reliance for critical mineral supply and to significantly contribute to the green energy transition in the current geopolitically complex backdrop.”
Blue Moon Metals is also advancing other projects, including the Blue Moon zinc-gold-silver-copper project in the US and the NSG copper-zinc-gold-silver project in Norway.
All benefit from existing infrastructure, strengthening their development prospects.
Kargl-Simard concluded: “We look forward to providing a clean copper supply to Europe for decades to come, especially with one of the cleanest copper concentrates in the world, powered solely from renewable energy sources.”