Norway Minerals’ project director, Jørgen Stenvold, joined the project in the summer of 2023. Since then, he has been working to build a team of specialists to develop the project, particularly the sustainable and circular approaches being investigated. How the company handles the delicate balancing act between meeting a growing global demand for minerals and at the same time safeguarding local commitment to nature and place identity will demand a lot from the company.
Q. Since you started as Project Director of Norge Mineraler in October 2023, what have been your main priorities?
JS: The first part of the job was really trying to understand what this project is really about. Where are we? What are the challenges and opportunities? We have had to prioritise quickly to develop something we can deliver to a world with an increasing need for Critical Raw Materials. From broad ideas to something concrete. And then, of course, there is turning a vision into reality, something I cannot do alone as a project director. So, I have needed to build a strong team around me.
Q. What is the work culture like in your team?
JS: One of my most important tasks so far has been to establish a positive environment internally. I’ve said from day one that we have to work as an integrated team. Integrated teams for integrated value chains! We operate in an open and transparent environment, where we share ideas and are generous in our communication. For me, it’s important to have a sense of perspective. And a sense of humour. We are all serious specialists who work a comprehensive project – both in size and complexity. In this regard, it is good to keep things relaxed and relatively informal, amid the great seriousness in which we operate.
Q. Norge Mineraler’s pre-feasibility study will be completed in August. Must the results of this be seen in the context of the end market’s requirements for Norway Minerals’ Critical Raw Materials – phosphate, vanadium and titanium?
JS: This balancing act is important; It must be both. My main focus right now is the pre-feasibility study (PFS), a massive piece of technical work that is currently being carried out. My role is to lead and guide the team that is working on this now. However, this work means nothing without hitting the needs of end markets driven by global trends. Therefore, we must be incredibly clear when it comes to defining the scope, and that it must be manageable operationally and financially. The PFS will help strengthen both key factors.
Q. And a key global trend driving demand is the energy transition…
JS: We know that the world needs phosphate – for environmentally friendly fertilisers, animal feed and LFP batteries; vanadium – for redox flow batteries to house renewable energy; titanium – to lighten the weight of aircraft and make them less fuel-intensive. In addition, we know that we must be able to manufacture products as close to CO2-free – along the entire value chain. But it costs to have high standards, and will the market pay the price? My job is to make them as economically viable as possible, given the parameters I have just mentioned.
Q. Why is the purity of Norge Mineraler’s CRMs so important?
The world needs access to critical raw materials that are produced to the highest ESG standards; that is, in the most sustainable way possible. Minimising CO2 emissions, as low an impact on nature as possible and decent labour standards – all these will be prerequisites for our business. We strive for high quality in the way we develop our resources. The CRMs themselves, which have high purity/contain little contaminants, are a good starting point for reaching these high standards for your own business. Higher purity means that any chemical treatment down the value chain is more efficient and has fewer problems with tailings and emissions.
This is important because the alternative is, for example, phosphate from Morocco, which comes with a significant environmental cost, as impurities are burned off – with significant CO2 emissions and chemical hazardous waste as a consequence. Europe has been dependent on Moroccan phosphate supplies. And if impurities are not minimised, there will be consequences. For example, phosphate fertilisers with high cadmium levels can accumulate in the soil and have harmful health consequences for humans – for example, pregnant women. It’s not just about the benefits of the crops. There have always been trade-offs. This is why we now need the highest level of sustainability echoing through CRM value chains. And it costs.
Q. Talking of sustainability, how important is a circular approach to Norge Mineraler’s Eigersund project?
JS: When it comes to circularity, a big priority is to reduce tailings and make it something we can use instead of waste we have to landfill. We want to get it back in our value chain. We must reuse residual resources and create new marketable products of high quality. With proper handling of side stones and tailings, these streams can become valuable materials for the construction industry. For example, for coastal protection. But is there a market need for it? It will depend on efficient logistics. These are not questions that are only reserved for us; The resource development industry must find solutions to these challenges. And this is something we are researching continuously, including as part of our work on our mineral deposits.
Q. As a Norwegian, you understand the importance of talking to the community at all stages of this project…
JS: Absolutely. We all know that we must contribute to making the world a better place, and that entails changes that can be demanding for both society and as individuals. Of course, when these changes affect people’s lives directly and personally, it’s easy to understand that it arouses engagement. Therefore, my job is to highlight the challenges and opportunities our business can provide, not only the world that demands more critical raw materials, but also what positive aspects we can have for the local community we are part of. We live here too and we will live well with our neighbours in this municipality. Then we must work out a project that has been thoroughly investigated, where people’s concerns and questions are met with understanding and respect and that provides added value for our local community. This can be a difficult conversation, and we do not shy away from it because change is needed for the world to find new solutions to the major global challenges we face together. For my part, I love this job because I work in the midst of precisely the most pressing global challenges: reverse globalisation and energy transition. And that’s why I’m sitting here today.
