The government aims to complete a zoning plan for Europe’s largest documented rare earths deposit by 2028.
Norway’s government has begun drafting a state zoning plan for the Fen rare earths deposit. It will determine what land would be needed for potential mining and processing, as well as for storing and using mining waste. The government aims to complete the plan by 2028 at the latest.
First, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries will prepare a planning programme setting out which potential effects on the environment and local communities must be assessed and how the public will be involved. A draft is to be released for consultation as early as possible in 2027.
According to the Geological Survey of Norway, the Fen deposit in Telemark is Europe’s largest documented rare earths deposit. The project is being developed by Rare Earths Norway, a private Norwegian company. Nome municipality, where the deposit is located, asked the government in spring 2026 to take over the planning process because any development would require local and national interests to be balanced.
When Mining Could Begin Remains Unclear
However, it remains unclear when mining at Fen could begin, as further permits would be required even if the zoning plan is completed by 2028. That also raises questions about whether a mine could contribute to the EU’s 2030 targets under the Critical Raw Materials Act. Because Norway is not an EU member, extraction at Fen would not count towards the bloc’s domestic mining target. But it could help diversify the EU’s sources of supply. The legislation also seeks to reduce dependence on individual supplier countries such as China: by 2030, no single non-EU country should account for more than 65% of the EU’s consumption of any strategic raw material.
Photo: tupungato via Canva
