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Critical Metals in France
In France, a list of strategic metals has been established by the relevant ministries
(cf. Table 3.1). This list reveals France’s heavy dependence for most rare metals. A
list of land-based mines for rare metals should be drawn up, specifying the contents
of these elements in order to determine the concentrations to be sought in other
regions or other types of deposits and to improve supply security. There is currently
no such list which can be used to rapidly assess the value of new indices on a given
type of rare metal.
At the Ministry of Research and Higher Education, this question is mainly being addressed within the “Alliance” of institutes concerned by this field, known as
ANCRE, which also deals with energy issues.
In the field of energy, the challenges are centered around rare and often critical
metals. These metals are used in nuclear energy, batteries, renewable energies, as
well as in energy saving processes, the development of new catalysts and chemical
hydrogen storage. The challenges in the field of energy concern rhenium, selenium,
tellurium, rare earths, uranium and vanadium. Seven major sectors of application
have been identified, in which rare metals are or will be critical: nuclear with uranium; batteries with lithium, cobalt and rare earths; renewable energies and energy
savings (in particular magnets for generators and electric motors) with rare earths,
as well as photovoltaic with silver, cadmium, tellurium, indium, gallium and selenium; non-incandescent lighting with gallium; catalysts with platinum group metals
and possibly chemical hydrogen storage with boron; high-temperature superconductivity with rare earths; fuel savings by improving engine performance and using
lighter structures with nickel-rhenium for aeronautics and niobium for the automotive industry.
The ANCRE programme highlights the need for a full-fledged research programme to discover new mineral resources in continental masses and in the ocean,
to exploit low concentrations or unconventional deposits, to determine their industrial value, to contribute to the evaluation or re-evaluation of land-based and seabased mineral resources in French territories, their EEZ and partners’ economic
areas, and to develop efficient and sustainable exploration, exploitation and rehabilitation technologies.
The ANCRE programme proposes two fundamental avenues. The first consists
in an inventory of critical metal resources through exploration and knowledge of
the national territory, its EEZ and international partners’ EEZs, in particular for
lithium and rare earths. The second resides in the understanding of the concentration processes of so-called ‘small metals’. The proposed research programme aims
to develop knowledge of concentration processes for primary (lithium, rare earths)
and secondary (by-products) elements in endogenous deposits of Zn, Ni, Cu and
bauxites and argillites. Small metals are often by-products of base metals. They help
to promote base metals considerably, in a context in which, as their concentration is
gradually falling, their exploitation cost is on the rise.
Knowledge of small metal concentration processes is a considerable asset for the
exploration, exploitation and strategic choice of base metal deposits, and is worth
3 Rare and Strategic Metals
Critical Metals in France
In France, a list of strategic metals has been established by the relevant ministries
(cf. Table 3.1). This list reveals France’s heavy dependence for most rare metals. A
list of land-based mines for rare metals should be drawn up, specifying the contents
of these elements in order to determine the concentrations to be sought in other
regions or other types of deposits and to improve supply security. There is currently
no such list which can be used to rapidly assess the value of new indices on a given
type of rare metal.
At the Ministry of Research and Higher Education, this question is mainly being addressed within the “Alliance” of institutes concerned by this field, known as
ANCRE, which also deals with energy issues.
In the field of energy, the challenges are centered around rare and often critical
metals. These metals are used in nuclear energy, batteries, renewable energies, as
well as in energy saving processes, the development of new catalysts and chemical
hydrogen storage. The challenges in the field of energy concern rhenium, selenium,
tellurium, rare earths, uranium and vanadium. Seven major sectors of application
have been identified, in which rare metals are or will be critical: nuclear with uranium; batteries with lithium, cobalt and rare earths; renewable energies and energy
savings (in particular magnets for generators and electric motors) with rare earths,
as well as photovoltaic with silver, cadmium, tellurium, indium, gallium and selenium; non-incandescent lighting with gallium; catalysts with platinum group metals
and possibly chemical hydrogen storage with boron; high-temperature superconductivity with rare earths; fuel savings by improving engine performance and using
lighter structures with nickel-rhenium for aeronautics and niobium for the automotive industry.
The ANCRE programme highlights the need for a full-fledged research programme to discover new mineral resources in continental masses and in the ocean,
to exploit low concentrations or unconventional deposits, to determine their industrial value, to contribute to the evaluation or re-evaluation of land-based and seabased mineral resources in French territories, their EEZ and partners’ economic
areas, and to develop efficient and sustainable exploration, exploitation and rehabilitation technologies.
The ANCRE programme proposes two fundamental avenues. The first consists
in an inventory of critical metal resources through exploration and knowledge of
the national territory, its EEZ and international partners’ EEZs, in particular for
lithium and rare earths. The second resides in the understanding of the concentration processes of so-called ‘small metals’. The proposed research programme aims
to develop knowledge of concentration processes for primary (lithium, rare earths)
and secondary (by-products) elements in endogenous deposits of Zn, Ni, Cu and
bauxites and argillites. Small metals are often by-products of base metals. They help
to promote base metals considerably, in a context in which, as their concentration is
gradually falling, their exploitation cost is on the rise.
Knowledge of small metal concentration processes is a considerable asset for the
exploration, exploitation and strategic choice of base metal deposits, and is worth
3 Rare and Strategic Metals