At the Mineral Exploration and Mining Convention in Toronto, Invest International, a Dutch impact investor based in The Hague, announced its plans to launch a new public-private investment fund aimed at securing critical raw materials. With an estimated order of magnitude between 500 million and 1 billion euros, the fund is designed to help the Netherlands and by extension, Europe reduce its dependence on a limited number of suppliers for essential materials needed in renewable energy technologies and digital infrastructure.
Lara Muller, Director of New Business at Invest International, explained that the initiative is part of a broader strategy to bolster economic independence in sectors vital for the energy transition. “We cannot do this alone,” Muller stressed, emphasizing the importance of collaborating with banks, pension funds, and EU-based partners. The fund’s objective is not only to secure access to crucial raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and copper but also to support sustainable practices by enhancing recycling efforts and fostering the development of alternative materials.
The Netherlands, with its advanced logistics infrastructure and strategic access via the Port of Rotterdam, is uniquely positioned in the European raw materials supply chain. However, the country has traditionally relied heavily on imported semi-finished products from China. The new investment initiative aims to mitigate these dependencies and strengthen the domestic supply chain, thereby reducing vulnerabilities in international markets.
In addition to targeting traditional partners such as Australia, Canada, and Chile, the initiative seeks to expand cooperation with countries like Vietnam and South Africa. This diversified approach is seen as crucial for ensuring that the Netherlands and the broader EU can weather geopolitical tensions and fluctuating global markets without being overly reliant on any single supplier.
Jacob van Gent, spokesperson for Invest International, summed up the fund’s mission: “With these kinds of crucial flows, it is important that you are never dependent on one party.” The fund will also focus on scaling up recycling and innovating to reduce raw material consumption in key technologies, ranging from lithium-ion batteries for renewable energy to permanent magnets for wind turbines and critical components for green hydrogen production.
