Critical Minerals Projects
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
The projects that will add critical mineral supply are tracked here through the official lists that name them, because those lists are public and dated. The European Commission has recognised 106 strategic projects: 20 extraction, 23 processing, 29 recycling and 19 integrated projects in the EU, and 13 in other countries. In the United States, 50 critical mineral and mining projects were receiving FAST-41 permitting benefits on 20 November 2025. A project on a list has permitting support; it is not necessarily producing, and the pages say which is which.
106
projects recognised as Strategic Projects under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, in lists of March 2025, June 2025 and October 2026
Source: European Commission
29
recycling projects among the 93 EU strategic projects, the largest group
50
critical mineral and mining projects receiving FAST-41 benefits in the United States on 20 November 2025
Source: Permitting Council
17 of 47
EU strategic projects selected in March 2025 that had a construction permit by 9 October 2026
Source: European Commission
Which project page answers which question?
The pages follow the supply chain: the designations first, then mines, refineries, rare earth separation and recycling.
| Page | Question it answers | Key figure |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Projects | What does a government designation give, and how do the EU, US and Canadian regimes compare? | 106 EU strategic projects; 50 US projects under FAST-41 |
| Mining Projects | Which mines and mine projects are on the official lists? | 31 EU projects with a mine, 10 outside the EU and 30 US mining projects |
| Refinery Projects | Which processing and refining plants are named? | 23 EU processing projects; 3 refineries outside the EU |
| Separation Plants | Where are rare earths separated outside China, and what is planned? | 11 rare earth projects on EU lists; Lynas and MP Materials output |
| Recycling Plants | Which recycling plants are operating, funded or designated? | 29 EU recycling projects; Redwood's 20 GWh a year |
Figures are taken from the linked pages, which cite the European Commission's decisions, the Permitting Council, company reports and USGS.
Why track projects through official lists?
Official lists are dated, public and checkable, whereas press coverage of projects often repeats company targets. The Commission publishes each strategic project's promoter, country and materials in the annex to its decision, and the Permitting Council publishes its project lists with the date they were last updated. The lists show intent and permitting status, and the section pages add output and funding data where USGS or the companies report them. The supply chain section covers the stages the projects serve, and the companies section covers the firms behind them.
Frequently asked questions
How many critical mineral projects has the EU designated?
The European Commission has recognised 106 Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act: 47 in the EU on 25 March 2025, 13 in third countries on 4 June 2025 and 46 in the EU on 9 October 2026.
Which critical mineral projects are in the United States?
The Permitting Council's lists of April 2026 include the Tonopah Flats lithium project, the Bear Lodge rare earth project, the Graphite Creek and Coosa graphite projects and the Nikolai nickel project. On 20 November 2025 it reported 50 critical mineral and mining projects receiving FAST-41 benefits.
Does a strategic project designation mean production will start?
No. The designation gives faster permitting and help with finance and buyers. By 9 October 2026, 17 of the 47 EU projects selected in March 2025 had a construction permit.
Where can I find the full list of EU strategic projects?
The Commission publishes the annexes to its decisions on its strategic projects page, and this site tallies them by stage, country and material on the mines, refineries, separation plants and recycling plants pages.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- European Commission: selected strategic projects under the CRMA
- Commission Decision C(2025) 1904, annex (25 March 2025)
- Commission Decision C(2025) 3491, annex (4 June 2025)
- Commission Decision C(2026) 8051, annex (9 October 2026)
- European Commission press release IP/26/2113 (9 October 2026)
- Permitting Council: 50 mining and infrastructure projects milestone (20 November 2025)
