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LONDON - Anglo American (JO:AGLJ) PLC’s Sakatti copper and polymetallic project in Finland has been granted ’Strategic Project’ status by the European Commission, aligning with the European Union’s efforts to secure supplies of essential raw materials. The designation, under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, acknowledges the project’s significance in bolstering the EU’s raw material self-sufficiency and streamlines its permitting processes.
Alison Atkinson, Anglo American’s Projects & Development Director, expressed the company’s pleasure at receiving this recognition for Sakatti, noting its potential to contribute substantially to the EU’s critical raw materials supply. She highlighted the project’s expected production of approximately 100,000 tonnes of copper equivalent per year from the early 2030s, which is anticipated to play a crucial role in Europe’s decarbonization efforts and technology advancements.
The EU currently produces a mere 4% of its critical minerals and aims to increase this figure to 10%. Sakatti’s strategic status is expected to facilitate the development of the project, which is part of Anglo American’s broader strategy to expand its copper production capacity.
Anglo American has been active in Finland for two decades, commencing exploration in 2004 and discovering the Sakatti deposit in 2009. The company intends to apply its responsible mining practices to develop Sakatti as a next-generation, low-carbon, and highly automated underground mine with minimal surface impact.
The project is situated in Finnish Lapland, near Sodankylä, and is poised to contribute to the Nordic region’s supply of metals and minerals necessary for global decarbonization. Finland’s stable environment and established processing capabilities position it as a reliable source for responsibly sourced critical raw materials.
This development underscores the growing international focus on sustainable and secure access to critical raw materials. The information in this article is based on a press release statement.
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