What are Critical Minerals and Rare Earths?
- Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals essential for making permanent magnets used in electric vehicles (EVs), smartphones, missile systems and wind turbines.
- The S. Geological Survey (USGS) lists 50 minerals as “critical”, including lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths, due to their vital role in defence, aerospace, green energy and electronics.
- These minerals have no commercially viable substitutes, making their supply chain strategically important.
Ukraine’s Mineral Wealth
- Ukraine has 22 of the 34 minerals classified as critical by the European Union (EU).
- Major critical minerals in Ukraine include:
- Rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, erbium, yttrium, and scandium.
- Lithium, nickel, manganese, beryllium, gallium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite and titanium.
- Graphite reserves in Ukraine account for approximately 20% of global resources, crucial for EV batteries and nuclear reactors.
- Lithium reserves are estimated at 500,000 metric tonnes, one of the largest in Europe. Key lithium areas include the central, eastern and southeastern regions.
- Titanium is concentrated in the northwestern and central regions and is used in the aerospace and defence
- China dominates global rare earth production, making Ukraine a strategically attractive alternative supplier for Western economies.
