News: Suppliers
27 March 2025
METLEN investment in gallium production included in EU’s selected strategic projects for critical raw materials
Multi-national industrial and energy company METLEN Energy & Metals S.A. of Athens, Greece — which operates the only vertically integrated bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium production unit in the European Union (EU) with privately owned port facilities — says that its flagship investment in gallium production at the historic Aluminium of Greece industrial unit has been officially recognized as a Strategic Project by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).
Following an extensive technical evaluation by independent experts, the European Critical Raw Materials Board — comprising the 27 member states with the participation of the European Parliament — recommended the designation of METLEN’s investment as a Project of Strategic Importance for the EU. Ratified on 25 March, the firm says that the decision marks a milestone for European metallurgy and Greek mining activity, as it is the only project that decisively strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy in bauxite, alumina (and aluminum), and gallium, all of which are classified as ‘critical raw materials’.
Out of the 170 projects submitted across Europe, 47 projects from 13 EU member states were approved. The inclusion of METLEN's integrated project — encompassing bauxite mining, the expansion of the alumina production plant, and the production of 50MT of gallium — in the list of selected CRMA strategic projects confirms the importance of these critical materials for the resilience of Europe's supply chain. At the same time, it paves the way for faster permitting processes, access to European funding, and enhanced support from the EU.
With METLEN’s investment now recognized as Strategic, new bauxite mining can be launched for the first time in decades as well as an increase in alumina production — an industry that has suffered a severe setback in Europe — and the full substitution of gallium imports.
In this context, on 27 March METLEN welcomed Stéphane Séjourné, executive VP of the European Commission, for an official visit to the Aluminium of Greece industrial unit, where the project and its contribution to European strategic autonomy were presented.
METLEN investing €295.5m in bauxite, alumina and gallium production in Greece
