Rare earth metals in Russia

Main article: Metallurgy in Russia

2025

Russia's largest rare earth deposits

Reserves of 29 types of useful minerals Russia in amount to 658 million tons, including 28.5 million tons of rare earth metals. Such data was published on February 26, 2025. Ministry of Natural Resources The agency clarified that the key fields of strategic resources are located in different regions of the country and have high industrial potential.

The largest rare earth metal deposits in Russia include:

• Lovozerskoye field (Murmansk Oblast) is the main industrial source of rare earths, including tantalum, niobium, lanthanum and cerium.
• The Tomtorskoye deposit (Republic of Sakha, Yakutia) is one of the richest in the world in terms of rare earth metals and the largest in terms of niobium reserves.
• The Kholtosonskoye field (Trans-Baikal Territory) is the largest vein-type deposit in Russia.
• Kovdorskoye deposit (Murmansk region) - contains apatite-nepheline ores with rare earth elements.
• Fedorovo-Pansky massif (Murmansk region) is one of the world's largest deposits of platinum group metals.
• Khibinskaya group of deposits (Murmansk region) - contains significant reserves in apatite-nepheline ores.

According to Business Gazeta, rare metals include 14 types of minerals: lithium, rubidium, cesium, beryllium, scandium, indium, gallium, germanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum and rhenium. The category of rare earth metals includes: samarium, yttrium, lutetium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, praseodymium, tulium, lanthanum, cerium, ytterbium, terbium, neodymium, gadolinium, europium and promethium.

The raw material base of rare earth metals in Russia is characterized by a high geographical concentration - about 46.1% of the reserves are concentrated in nine objects of the Murmansk region. The Lovozerskoye field accounts for 25% of the region's reserves.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the country's readiness to offer the United States cooperation on rare earth metals, including in Donbass and Novorossiya. After the accession of new territories, Russia gained access to additional reserves of valuable mineral resources.^[1]

Exploration and preparation of 28.5 million tons of rare earth metal reserves

In Russia, 28.5 million tons of rare earth metals have been explored and prepared for production. This was announced on February 12, 2025 by the head of the Federal Agency for Subsoil Use of Russia Oleg Kazanov during a round table in the Federation Council. He noted that the annual demand of the Russian economy for these metals is about 2 thousand tons, which is significantly lower than the volume of available reserves.

According to TASS, the explored deposits are located in different regions of Russia. Among the largest are the Lovozerskoye field in the Murmansk region with reserves of 7 million tons and Tomtorskoye in Yakutia, where 4 million tons of raw materials are concentrated. Oleg Kazanov noted that federal geological exploration is currently concentrated on the study of uranium, titanium and lithium, since there are enough rare earth metals in the country.

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Фото: Freepik

According to the head of RosnedrOleg Casanov, the key problem remains the economic feasibility of extracting rare earth metals. The volume of available reserves significantly exceeds the needs of industry, which affects the prospects for their active development. Kazanov stressed that the global market for rare earths is controlled by China, which creates additional barriers to the development of domestic production and processing.

Advisor to the head of Rosnedr Dmitry Oleinik said that the tasks for the further study and development of rare earth metal reserves are assigned to the All-Russian Research Institute of Mineral Raw Materials. Oleinik noted that the successful separation of rare earths and the production of end products requires an integrated approach and significant investment. According to him, the current difficulties are due to low demand for such metals and the global market situation.^[2]

2023: Consumption of rare earth metals in Russia for the year increased to 1.42 thousand tons

The consumption of rare earth metals (REM) in Russia in 2023 increased to 1.42 thousand tons. This became known in August 2024. This indicator, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, is part of a long-term strategy aimed at increasing the use and production of rare earth metals in the country. Consumption growth continues amid efforts to reduce dependence on imports and develop domestic production.

Russia plans to double its domestic consumption of REM by 2030 - up to 3 thousand tons. The main areas of use of rare earth metals are the oil and gas industry, renewable energy sources, the glass industry and optics. In 2023, 830 tons of REM were spent on oil and gas processing, including elements such as lanthanum, cerium and itrium. Another 200 tons went to the needs of renewable energy sources (RES), where samarium and neodymium are in demand. The glass industry and optics used 100 tons of rare earth metals such as lanthanum, cerium and ytterbium.

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Фото: Freepik

Despite the vast reserves of rare earth metals, which make Russia the second largest in the world in reserves, production of these resources in the country remains relatively weak, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In 2023, it accounted for only 2% of global production. However, the development of this industry is a priority for the government, and by 2030 Russia plans to fully provide itself with rare earth metals, increasing production to 7.5 thousand tons per year.

With the growth of domestic demand in Russia, measures are also being taken to reduce dependence on imports. Currently, about 90% of rare earth metals required for domestic enterprises are imported from abroad. However, Rosatom, which implements projects in this area, predicts that by 2025 this dependence could be reduced to 50%. It is also expected that the volume of production of rare earth metals in Russia will grow to 2.7 thousand tons in 2025.^[3]

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