Milestones and progress
Fen og Fensfeltet sett fra Holla kirkeruin.
Fen seen from the Holla church ruin.

Milestones: The road from research to production

Several companies currently hold mining rights* on the Fen Complex. This means that they are working towards a goal of starting up mining operations.   

Author: Tor Espen Simonsen

Published: 14 Nov, 2023

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Updated: 03 Jul, 2026

Short version of this text

  • Several players have mining rights on the Fen Complex and aim to start mining, but a decision is still in the future.
  • The companies must prove that they have a mineable deposit, which requires more than just geological documentation.
  • The licensees (the companies) aim to solve challenges such as sustainability both for the environment, nature and climate. Such as requiring a plan for handling tailings and waste.
  • At the start of 2024, the licensees are still focusing on documentation, while Nome municipality is clarifying land requirements for mining operations and associated facilities.
  • The Norwegian government's mineral strategy includes a fast track to reduce case processing time, in line with the prioritization of critical minerals.
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Even if the companies have such an objective, a decision on start-up is relatively far in the future. 

First and foremost, the companies must document that they have a viable deposit of REE. Such documentation deals with much more than purely geological conditions.

There is little doubt that the Fen complex contains large quantities of critical minerals. However, viability is also about profitability, environmental impact, technology and access to necessary infrastructure such as transport, power, ports and markets. 

All such conditions must be documented in the same way as the geological assumptions. Geology, economics, technology and infrastructure are of course also closely linked: 

Are there techniques that make it possible to extract rare earths in a CO2-neutral way and at the same time reduce negative impacts on nature? 

All of this is an issue that the stakeholders are working on and need to clarify. Not least, they must have a plan for handling surplus materials (tailings*), any waste substances and handling of thorium.  

Read more about:

The deposit of rare earth elements in the Fen Complex 

This is how mining on the Fen Complex can be carried out 

Milestones towards a decision

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Selskapene med utvinningsrettigheter på Fensfeltet jobber med å utvikle sine gruve- og driftskonsepter samt med kartlegging, undersøkelser og analyser.  Det er flere store forsknings- og utviklingsprosjekter som pågår. 

Nome kommune har utredet plassering av Fensfeltet mineralpark hvor prosessanlegg, deponi og annen relevant industri skal ligge. I april 2026 vedtok regjeringen etter anmodning fra Nome kommune at den videre reguleringsprosessen for Fensfeltet mineralpark skal gjennomføres som en statlig reguleringsplan. 

Parallelt med disse løpene arbeides det med rammebetingelser, avtaler, godkjenninger, konsekvensutredninger, og politiske behandlinger. 

i regjeringens mineralstrategi er det varslet et hurtigspor som skal korte ned saksbehandlingstiden for de som søker driftskonsesjon. Dette henger sammen med at kritiske mineraler er gitt prioritet i strategien. EU har gjennom sin Critical Raw Material Act (CRMA) en tilsvarende strategi – , der målet er å ha ny europeisk produksjon av sjeldne jordarter på plass innen 2030.

The fast track is to be developed by the Directorate for Mineral Management (DMF) establishing a national coordination of projects for critical minerals, based on voluntary participation from municipalities and project developers.

 

Read more about: 

The Fen days - a meeting place for everyone 

Overview of important documents such as Norway's mineral strategy and Nome municipality's strategy for the Fens field.