techUK: UK CRM Strategy Overview & Next Steps

© Assent 2023 / assent.com
UK Critical Mineral
Strategy: Overview
and Next Steps.
Presented at techUK: UK approach to Critical Minerals
(Webinar), Thursday 23rd March 2023.
Presented by: Eur Ing. Raj Takhar, MSc, CEng, PhD,
Regulatory & Sustainability Expert. Email:
Raj.Takhar@assent.com.

Agenda – 23rd March 2023
About Me
1. Introduction.
2. UK CRM Strategy (2022)
3. UK CRM Refresh (2023)
4. Conclusions
5. Q&A.

Acronyms
Acronym Meaning
AI Artificial Intelligence
BGS British Geographical Survey
CMIC Critical Materials Intelligence Centre
CRM Critical Raw Material / Mineral
EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiate
EOL End-Of-Life
ERMA European Raw Materials Alliance.
ESG Environmental, Social and corporate Governance
EU European Union
EU CRMA EU Critical Raw Materials Act (2023) Proposal
EU MS EU Member State
EV Electric Vehicle
GHG GreenHouse Gas
GPP Green Public Procurement
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency.
IEA International Energy Agency
Innovate UK CLIMATES Innovate UK Circular Materials Supply Chain program
KIAT Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology
KETEP Korean Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning
LME London Metal Exchange
ML Machine Learning
PGM Platinum Group Metals
R&D Research and Development
RD&D Research, Development and Distribution
REE Rare Earth Elements, may be further broken down as: HREE – Heavy REEs, or ( LREE – Light REEs
RMI Raw Materials Initiative
SCMA Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance
UK United Kingdom
UKIB UK Infrastructure Bank.
Acronym Meaning
UK ATF UK Automotive Transformation Fund.
UK BEIS UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
UK BEIS CMEC BEIS Critical Minerals Expert Committee
UK BEIS CMIC UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre
UK CEIF UK Clean Energy Innovation Facility
UK CE-Hub UK Circular Economy Hub
UK DEFRA UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
UK DIT UK Department for International Trade
UK FCDO UK Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office
UK HMRC UK His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs
UK ICF UK International Climate Finance
UK IETF UK Industrial Energy Transformation Fund
UK Met4Tech UK Circular Economy Centre for Technology Metals
UK MoD UK Ministry of Defence
UK ODA UK Official Development Assistance
UK ONS UK Office for National Statistics
UK ONS-IDS UK ONS Integrated Data Services
UK POST UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
UKRI UK Research and Innovation
UKRI NICER UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research
UN United Nations
UN SDG UN Sustainable Development Goal
US United States
USGS US Geological Survey.
US IRA US Inflation Reduction Act (2022)
US MFN US Most Favored Nation
US NRC US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

© Assent 2023 / assent.com 4
About Me

Raj Takhar
About Me
Regulatory &
Sustainability Expert:
Product Sustainability
Assent Inc.
❏ Education: MSc, PhD.
❏ Professional: Chartered Engineer, European Chartered
Engineer.
❏ Doctoral Research: ‘The effect of chemical regulations on
the Aerospace and Defence sector’.
❏ Standards: IPC, BSi, ASD, CENELEC, ISO.
❏ Trade Associations: IPC, Digital Europe, IET.
❏ Stakeholder Groups: (numerous workshops related to
updates to EU REACH), SCIP IT User Group, UK REACH
(Several Stakeholders) group.
❏ Contact:
❏ Raj.Takhar@assent.com.
❏ https://www.linkedin.com/in/eur-ing-raj-takhar-
msc-ceng-phd-4791134/

1 Introduction

Introduction: Why does industry exist?
▸ Companies exist to generate some form of economic gain for their stakeholders,
by ingesting inputs (materials, labour) to produce outputs (products, services)
that are sold for a profit to consumers.
▸ Marketplaces and product prices work on the laws of supply and demand, the
availability of products vs a consumer's willingness to pay a sum of money.
▸ Common trait of modern industry ‘to remain competitive in the marketplace, we
need to purchase raw materials in large volumes, mass produce products to
obtain economies of scale, to enable us to achieve lower product prices’
▸ 1987 UN ’Our Common Future’(aka Brundtland Report) highlighted key issues
with mass production, leading to the depletion of natural resources, increasing
climate change and volatility issues.
A quick look back in time …

Introduction: Critical Raw Materials / Minerals (CRM)
▸ Material is viewed as being critical if it:
a) Contains essential properties that cannot be
provided by other materials, or,
b) Is experiencing risks related to the security of
supply, based on:
o Levels of competing demand from different
companies ingesting the material as an input
to produce products.
o The amount of the material available on the
open marketplace.
o Material country of origin, which may be
concentrated to a specific region, potentially
susceptible to geopolitical tensions (price
fixing, limiting distribution to certain countries,
etc.).
▸ Many CRMs are likely to be produced in small volumes
or produced as by-product of other mining activities.
What are they?
SOURCE:
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/10010/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/pdf

Introduction: The CRM Value Chain (high-level)
Activities to uncover
potential new CRM
deposits, for future
extraction.
CRM Mining and
extraction activities.
Extracted CRMs (minerals,
ores, concentrates).
Processed into raw
materials (metals, oxides,
alloys, powders).
Raw materials containing
CRMs.
Formed into semi-finished or
finished products.
Products are then sold to
either: (i) end consumers, or;
(ii) other actors in the value
chain within own products
End consumer use.
May entail sending
products back to the
product manufacturer
for maintenance and
report activities
Products enter EOL state.
EOL products then collected /
transmitted into waste streams.
Waste streams operators may
then undertake Repair,
Refurbishment, Repurposing or
Recycling activities.
Recycling activities result in
secondary raw material creation.

Introduction: The Global CRM Marketplace (i)
▸ Prior to the late 1980’s:
▹ US was one of the leading REE producers. US REEs could at this point move freely without
detailed being managed by extensive rules.
▹ 1980 US NRC and IAEA changed the definition for ‘Source Materials’ which could
potentially be used to make nuclear weapons. US REEs now required extensive rules
applied to them. US and other nations in IAEA were trying to limit the use of materials
which could potentially be used to make nuclear weapons.
▹ China was not a signatory to IAEA, and therefore it was able to trade its REEs freely.
A new world order, pandemic, Brexit, challenges, threats and embracing change …

Introduction: The Global CRM Marketplace (ii)
▸ Late 1980s to the early 2000’s:
▹ 1989 to 1998 US granted China MFN status, enabling further control of US REE
marketplace.
▹ China then began to dominate global supply chains for several CRMs. China was able to
mass extract, process and refine CRMs at significantly lower costs and prices than their
western CRM counterparts, who in turn stopped producing CRMs.
▹ During this period , there was unprecedented amount consumer demand for new
technologies such as LCD tv’s, satellite / cable tv boxes, mobile phones, tablets, smart
phones, etc. All these new products consumed ever increasing amounts of CRMs
particularly REEs.
▹ Since the late 1980s, China has maintained its dominant position within the global CRM
marketplace. However, it has often been accused of manipulating the price of REEs by
controlling amounts of REEs being made freely available.

Introduction: The Global CRM Marketplace (iii)
▸ Early 2000’s to the end of 2019:
▹ China began to attract more and more western companies to outsource manufacturing
operations to local lower cost companies in China. Many large global companies followed
each other towards China, in order to keep costs down and remain competitive.
▹ Since 2009 China has been one of the leading exporting countries in the world. The world
has since relied on more and more on products that originate or contain significant content
from China.
▹ As part of the EU, the UK did play a role in EU CRM related activities: (i) BGS performed a
key role, supporting the creation and maintenance of the early EU CRM lists, (ii) UK
implemented a product specific legislation under the EU Eco-Design Directive, for welding
equipment, still in existence, which requires component level identification of any CRMs
(see next slide)
▹ The UK Brexit referendum and subsequent Article 50 notification, saw the UK presence and
influence in EU gradually decline.

Introduction: The Global CRM Marketplace (iv)
▸ UK Statutory Instrument: ‘The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and
Energy Information Regulations’ (2021):
▹ SCHEDULE 1: Ecodesign requirement for welding equipment
» Information requirements:
• 4.(1) Manufacturers, their authorised representatives or importers of welding equipment must provide
the information specified in sub-paragraph (2) for each piece of equipment:
• (a) in instruction manuals for installers and end-users; and
• (b) for at least 10 years after the first unit of a model is placed on the market, on a website
which is accessible to the public without charge.
• 4.(2) The information referred to in sub-paragraph 4.(1) is:
• (e) a list of critical raw materials present in indicative amounts higher than 1 gram at
component level, if any, and an indication of the component(s) in which these critical raw
materials are present;
UK Product Specific CRM Reporting Requirement
UK CRM CURRENT STATE REPORTING – APPLIES ONLY TO WELDING EQUIPMENT

Introduction: The Global CRM Marketplace (v)
▸ 2019 to 2021:
▹ EU Green Deal (2019) launched as central strategy to enable EU to make the ‘green
transition’ between 2020-24.
▹ However, by the end of 2019, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulted in very high
infection rates, spreading sharply around the world.
▹ Governments around the world subsequently introduced ‘lockdown’ measures to curb the
spread of the virus, shutting down all be key essential services, halting the global flow of
goods.
▹ It was during this period, countries begun to realize just how much they depended on
products sourced from China.
▹ The longer China imposed its own ‘lockdown’ measures, had sharp ‘knock-on effect’
impacts to other countries, which has attempted to implement their own post Covid-19
recovery measures.

Introduction: The Global CRM Marketplace (vi)
▸ 2019 to 2021 (cont’d):
▹ EU resilience and recovery activities during 2020 pivoted towards the new ‘green and
digital’ transitions. Several new CRM related activities initiated:
» EU Industrial Strategy (2020) highlighted key EU sectors highly depended on CRM and
other products from China.
» EU CRM Resilience Communication (2020) which included the EU CRM List (2020),
established ERMA.
» EU Action Plan on CRMs (2020) very strong themes which align to those defined in UK CRM
strategy.
▹ The UK was slightly hampered awaiting the outcomes of the Brexit negotiations. However,
several key studies related to CRMs were launched (see next slide).

Key Observations:
1. A material is critical if it contains essential properties that cannot be provided by other materials or
at risk from supply chain disruption;
2. Global CRM consumption rates attributed to population growth; mass-production; disposable
income growth.
3. Globalization of both outsourced manufacturing and marketplaces, increased demand for CRMs.
4. Key UK sectors consuming CRMs: Defence; Energy; Electronics; Healthcare; Transport
5. Lack of accurate data available, due in part to lack of general CRM tracking
6. Multiple methods for assessing material criticality;
7. No UK CRM strategy or UK CRM list.
Introduction: UK Key Early Studies Key Recommendations:
1. Implement UK CRM strategy to
ensure security of CRM supply;
2. Establish material criticality
assessment criteria to support a UK
specific perspective;
3. Define, implement and maintain a
UK CRM list;
4. Assess domestic CRM sources;
5. Promote efficiency standards;
6. Develop eco-design policies (min life
standards, durability, repairs, etc.);
7. Encourage products to be designed
with future circularity in mind
8. Utilize GPP rules to aid public sector
towards products linked to steps 4-6;
9. Assess use of product labelling to
inform on CRMs contained in products;
10. Ensure greater visibility of, and data
sharing of UK CRMs across UK
supply chain (data elements,
collection and reporting obligations);
11. Promote greater UK CRM recycling
activities;
12. Strengthen UK trading relationships
13. Assess key emerging low-carbon
industries;
14. Promote greater UK CRM
reprocessing activities;
2021
2020
UK criticality assessment
of technology critical
minerals and metals
[BEIS & BGS]
Review of the Future
Resource Risk Faced by
the UK Economy
[DEFRA & Eunomia]
2019
Access to Critical
Materials
[UK POST]
Regulating Product
Sustainabiility [UK POST]
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Ten Point Plan for a
Green Industriial
Revolution [DEFRA]
Future-proofing Supply
of Critical Minerals for
Net-Zero [UNECE]
Net Zero Strategy: Build
Back Greener [BEIS]
The Role of Critical Mineral
in Clean Energy Transitions
[IEA]
Global Britain in a
Competitive Age: the
Integrated Review of
Security, Defence,
Development and Foreign
Policy
[Cabinet Office]

2 UK CRM
Strategy (2022)

UK CRM Strategy: ACE Objectives
Accelerate the UK’s Domestic
Capabilities:
1. Maximize domestic production;
2. Rebuild skills;
3. Carry out R&D;
4. Increase circularity (recovery, reuse,
recycling and resource efficiency).
Collaborate with International
Partners:
5. Diversify sources of supply;
6. Support UK companies towards
diversified transparent and responsible
supply chains)
7. Develop international diplomatic, trading
and development relationships.
Enhance International Markets:
8. Promote Environmental, Social and
corporate Governance (ESG) to support a
level playing field for responsible
businesses;
9. Improve data, traceability on CRMs via
functioning transparent markets;
10. Promote London as the world capital for
responsible finance for CRMs.
Several flow down actions, initiatives, plans of which some were clear, whilst the majority
appeared as a collection of vague statements

UK CRM Strategy: Key Actors and Activities
CMIC:
• Core Objectives:
o Evaluate criticality of CRMs annually;
o Provide better intelligence on CRMs:
§ As existing data is based on a mixture
of legacy data from EU and USGS.
§ Provide data and analysis on:
§ (i) sources of CRM supply;
§ (ii) demand for CRMs, and;
§ (iii) market dynamics for CRMs
covering ESG issues, geopolitical
events;
o Undertake CRM assessments based on:
§ (i) CRM candidates approved via CMEC;
(ii) using UK Criticality Assessments
approved by BEIS, developed in
conjunction with CMEC & BGS.
BEIS:
• Leads policy for UK CRM Strategy;
• Established CMIC in July 2022;
• Maintains oversight of CMIC;
• Review UK Criticality Assessment
methods.
BGS:
• Delivers CMIC;
• Works with partners from industry
and academia, in the UK and abroad;
• Input into UK Criticality Assessment
methods.
CMEC:
• Provides UK government with
independent expert guidance on
CRMs:
o Supported development of UK
CRM strategy;
o Suggest suitable actions to
secure sustainable CRM
sources;
o Will continue to support UK
criticality assessment method;
o Will continue to review UK
CRM candidates based on
economic vulnerability and
security of supply;
1. UK Government
Accountable Minister
UK Minster of State (Minister for
Science & Investment Security):
• Responsible for BEIS;
• Responsible for UK CRMs (would
ultimately sign off on any new
additions to the UK CRM List).
2. UK Government
Responsible Department
3. UK Central Data Intelligence
Resource
4. UK Group Managing
Central Data Intelligence
Resource
5. UK Independent Expert
Advisors
Responsible to Responsible For
Manages
Delivery of
Responsible
to
Collaborate
Advise

UK CRM Strategy: UK CRM List
1. Antimony (Sb)
2. Bismuth (Bi)
3. Cobalt (Co)
4. Gallium (Ga)
5. Graphite (C)
6. Indium (In)
7. Lithium (Li)
8. Magnesium (Mg)
9. Niobium (Nb)
10.Palladium (Pd) [PGM]
11.Platinum (Pl) [PGM]
UK CRM List Candidates:
1. Iridium (Ir) [PGM]
2. Manganese (Mn)
3. Nickel (Ni)
4. Phosphates (P)
5. Ruthenium (Ru) [PGM]
12.Cerium (Ce) [REE]
13.Dysprosium (Dy) [REE]
14.Erbium (Er) [REE]
15.Europium (Eu) [REE]
16.Gadolinium (Gd) [REE]
17.Holmium (Ho) [REE]
18.Lanthanum (La) [REE]
19.Lutetium (Lu) [REE]
20.Neodymium (Nd) [REE]
21.Praseodymium (Pr) [REE]
22.Samarium (Sm) [REE]
23.Terbium (Tb) [REE]
24.Thulium (Tm) [REE]
25.Ytterbium (Yb) [REE]
26.Yttrium (Y) [REE]
27.Silicon (Si)
28.Tantalum (Ta)
29.Tellurium (Te)
30.Tin (Sn)
31.Tungsten (W)
32.Vanadium (V)
UK CRM List
1. UK Government
Accountable Minister
2. UK Government
Responsible Department
Final Approval of Any Updates
3. Central Data
Intelligence Resource
4. UK Group Managing
Central Data Intelligence
Resource
5. UK Independent Expert
Advisors
Collaborate
Provide Update
Recommendations
Interact With
Interact With
Interact With

UK CRM Strategy: Summary (i)
▸ The UK government should be commended for the CRM investment projects
shown in the UK CRM strategy. However, there should have been more
substance to the general statements shown, for example, investment costs,
expected duration and benefits expected to arise from these investments
▸ UK domestic CRM reprocessing & recycling activities are not clearly or concisely
articulated, some appear to be previously established investment projects ATF,
IETF and UKIB. This makes it hard to determine the true investments allocated
as part of the UK CRM strategy itself (existing funding available vs CRM
specifically allocated).
▸ UK ESG definitions need to align clearly with the rest of the world, and
divergence will make the data hard to read across into other locations, take the
example of a large MNC operating in multiple regions.

UK CRM Strategy: Summary (ii)
▸ UK CRM Strategy promotes a desire to make the UK become leader in CRM
recycling and reprocessing, requiring:
▹ A significant amount of investment to be undertaken;
▹ Technological innovations, potentially arising from (i);
▹ UK government needs to work closely with any funded projects, not at arms
length, to ensure the investments deliver the expected benefits with a
reasonable time period, at the estimated costs.
▸ Very general statements on UK sectoral uses of CRMs, with potential impacts.
More depth is needed, identifying key strategic sectors and use of CRMs
(aerospace and defence, automotive, electronics, renewable energy and medical
sectors).

UK CRM Strategy: Summary (iii)
▸ When first reviewing the UK CRM list it appears a little strange, not aligning
100% with the US or EU CRM lists.
▸ The assessment process for CRM candidates for inclusion onto the UK CRM list
is vague. It is very unclear on the roles of different actors. You must drill down
and read several layers of documents to truly understand who does what.
▸ CMEC are responsible for reviewing and assessing new candidate CRMs, does
not appear to have held a meeting since 2021?
▸ BGS criticality assessment document from 2021 appears to be current
methodology. The assessment logic is slightly strange, focusing more on the
CRMs that are deemed to be critical for the UK, potentially ignoring others as
being less relevant, which in turn may result in a loss of potential revenue
source, if the CRM is dismissed, as it may be critical for other non-UK sectors.

3
UK Critical
Mineral Refresh
(2023)
• Published on 13th March 2023
• This section explores updates in relation to the original UK CRM
Strategy (2022) ACE goals

UK CRM Refresh: Accelerate the UK’s Domestic Capabilities (ACE Goal 1)
Key Areas UK CRM Refresh Comments
Maximize domestic
production.
• July 2022: UK ATF financial support to Pensana to build the first UK REE
refinery.
• November 2022: UK ATF £600,000 support to Green Lithium to build the
first UK large-scale merchant lithium refinery.
• Innovate UK CLIMATES: £15 million for REE related projects (covers ALL
key areas).
• Impossible to identify the actual amount of funding given to Pensana.
Rebuild skills. • Vague Reference (1): UK universities offering course in materials science,
metallurgy and chemical engineering.
• Vague Reference (2): West Midlands regional cluster developing REE
recycling expertise.
• Vague reference (1): Camborne School of Mines and employers' degree
apprenticeship, which is actually being run via Exeter university.
• Vague Reference (2): UKRI Previously awarded the University of Birmingham
£4.3 million in 2021 to establish a REE recycling plant in the West Midlands.
Carry out R&D. • October 2022: Additional £211 million allocated to the Faraday Battery
Challenge
• £32.5 million funding for low carbon alternatives for red diesel for
construction, mining and quarrying (phase 2).
• Red diesel replacement funding is for demonstration projects, with budgets of
min £1 million up to £12 million, however applicants will need to NEED
financially match the funding amount received, which severely limits
applications. Assumed logic, cleaner fuel = leads to fewer emissions.
Increase circularity
(recovery, reuse,
recycling and
resource efficiency)
• UKRI £30 million funding for 4-year NICER programme launched in 2021.
• NICER programme investment and support for UK Met4Tech
• Vague Reference (3): February 2023 British Industry Supercharger initiative
project launch, lacks data on actions for circular measures for the energy
sector.
Related CRMs from UK CRM List (2022)
Cerium (Ce) [REE]
Dysprosium (Dy) [REE]
Erbium (Er) [REE]
Europium (Eu) [REE]
Gadolinium (Gd) [REE]
Holmium (Ho) [REE]
Lanthanum (La) [REE]
Lithium (Li)
Lutetium (Lu) [REE]
Neodymium (Nd) [REE]
Praseodymium (Pr) [REE]
Samarium (Sm) [REE]
Terbium (Tb) [REE]
Thulium (Tm) [REE]
Tin (Sn)
Ytterbium (Yb) [REE]
Yttrium (Y) [REE]
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)

UK CRM Refresh: Collaborate with International Partners (ACE Goal 2): Trading Agreements
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)
Partner
Name
Agreement Name Agreement Type Agreement
Date
Partner CRMs Partner Unexplored
Reserves
Comments
Australia Supply Chain Resilience
Initiative
Shared R&D
investments
projects
September
2022
Investigating public sector approaches to managing
critical supply chains. Several rounds of funded projects.
Outputs may then feed into private sector approaches.
Canada Critical Mineral
Statement of Intent
CRM Specific March
2023
iron and steel,
aluminum, copper,
gold, tellurium,
niobium, uranium,
and cobalt
Lithium. Agreement to work together on research.
Republic of
Korea
Collaborative R&D. Shared R&D
investments
projects
February
2022
Multi-phase project between Innovate UK, KIAT and
KETEP. References advanced manufacturing and
materials.
Saudi
Arabia
Co-operat6ion on
Critical Minerals
CRM Specific January
2023
Initial agreement announcement only
South
Africa
Partnership Agreement
on Minerals for Future
Clean Energy
Technologies
CRM Specific November
2022
platinum, palladium,
iridium, vanadium
and manganese.
iron ore, platinum,
manganese, chromium,
copper, uranium, silver,
beryllium, and titanium
Agreement to work together on research.
Cobalt (Co)
Iridium (Ir) [PGM] CRM Candidate
Lithium (Li)
Manganese (Mn)
Niobium (Nb)
Palladium (Pd) [PGM]
Platinum (Pl) [PGM]
Tellurium (Te)
Vanadium (V)

UK CRM Refresh: Collaborate with International Partners (ACE Goal 2): Multilateral Forums
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)
Forum / Name Formatio
n Date
Forum
Description
Forum Objectives Forum Members
IEA Novemb
er 1974
Multilateral
initiative on
energy.
(i) collaborate with governments,
industry and international
organizations,
(ii) (ii) promote secure, affordable and
sustainable energy
• Energy sector bodies.
• National and international
government bodies.
• Academia and NGOs.
Minerals
Security
Partnership
(US-convened)
June
2022
Multilateral
initiative to
develop
responsible CRM
supply chains.
(i) MSP members consist of large CRM
consuming countries;
(ii) Established to develop mutually
beneficial partnership agreements
with mineral-rich countries,
(iii) Develop a common approach on
ESG standards for use across the
• MSP Members: Australia, Canada,
European Commission, Finland, France,
Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
UK, US,
• MSP Partnership Agreements with
Mineral-Rich Countries (on-going):
Argentina, Brazil, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Mongolia,
Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania,
Zambia
Sustainable
Critical Mineral
Alliance
Decemb
er 2022
Established
during COP 15, to
promote
environmentally
sustainable,
socially inclusive
and responsible
practices across
the global mining
sector.
(i) Align with the G7 2030 Nature
Compact (2021) aim to reverse
biodiversity loss by 2030,
(ii) Voluntarily develop practices that
promote nature first approach,
prevent biodiversity loss, support
local and indigenous communities,
fight climate change, restoration of
ecosystem, and progress towards a
circular economy
• Australia, Canada, France, Germany,
Japan, UK, US

UK CRM Refresh: Collaborate with International Partners (ACE Goal 2): UK Funded Projects
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)
Project Name Project Description UK CRM Refresh Related Comments
UK CEIF • Description: Clean energy R& for developing countries
• Date(s): (i) April 2019 to end December 2023 (original)
• Key Climate Objective(s): Climate Mitigation.
• Managed by: UK BEIS
• Funding: (i) Original budget allocation of £44 million, (ii) Spend to data (Feb 2023) spend £12.6 million .
November 2022: COP 27 support package included
an announcement of an additional £65.5 million,
UK ICF • Description: Clean energy R& for developing countries
• Date(s): Launched 20
• Key Climate Objective(s): Climate Mitigation. & Climate Adaption
• Managed by: UK BEIS, UK Defra and UK FCDO.
• Funding: (i) £9.8 billion spent between 2011/12 to 2020/21, (ii) £11.6 billion committed between 2021/22 to 2025/26.
The Ayrton Fund • Description: Clean energy trasn the clean energy transition in developing countries, by creating and demonstrating
innovative clean energy technologies and business model
• Date(s): Launched 20
• Key Climate Objective(s): Climate Mitigation. & Climate Adaption
• Managed by: UK BEIS, UK Defra and UK FCDO.
• Funding: (i) £1 billion
• Originally promoted as being funding made
available to British scientists and innovators to
tackle climate change in developing counties
• Critical minerals is mentioned amongst lots of
other initiatives so
UK CRM Refresh (2023): Makes several references to international UK funded projects. It is a little confusing to grasp the correlation of
these funded projects and CRMs:
• Climate Mitigation: (i) Reduce the causes of climate change (GHGs). (ii) Changing societal behaviours, such as reduce the amounts of
energy consumed, using renewable energy sources, using sustainable transport, purchase products with recycled materials, etc., (iii)
Products should be designed to much more energy efficient, where feasible existing products could be updated to become more
energy efficient. Making products more sustainable with circularity in mind from outset (durable, energy efficient, repairable, reusable,
and recyclable) = Reducing the rate of natural resource depletion (extraction, processing and associated emissions), as a result of
products embracing circularity = Reducing climate change impacts
• Climate Adaption: Taking action to deal with the current and predicted effects of climate change.

UK CRM Refresh: Enhancing International Markets (ACE Goal 3)
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)
UK Circular Economy Framework (Development Phase)
• Led by UK ONS, UK ONS-IDS, UK HMRC
• Objective to create a pioneering data pooling network, to support supply-chain
traceability that securely brings together public and private data from across
industry, government and academia.
UK Supply Chain Resilience Framework (Published)
• UK DIT Guidance (November 2022)
MSP
SCMA

UK CRM Refresh: Emerging Landscape of Actors & Roles
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)
CMIC Core Objectives:
• Evaluate criticality of CRMs annually.
• Provide better intelligence on CRMs:
o As existing data is based on a
mixture of legacy data from EU and
USGS.
• Provide data and analysis on:
o (i) sources of CRM supply.
o (ii) demand for CRMs, and.
o (iii) market dynamics for CRMs
covering ESG issues, geopolitical
events;
• Undertake CRM assessments based on:
o (i) CRM candidates approved via
CMEC.
o (ii) using UK Criticality Assessments
approved by BEIS, developed in
conjunction with CMEC & BGS
BEIS:
• Leads policy for UK CRM Strategy.
• Established CMIC in July 2022.
• Maintains oversight of CMIC.
• Review UK Criticality Assessment methods.
BGS:
• Delivers CMIC;
• Works with partners from industry and academia, in
the UK and abroad;
• Input into UK Criticality Assessment methods.
1. UK Government Accountable
Minister
UK Minster of State (Minister for Science &
Investment Security):
• Responsible for BEIS;
• Responsible for UK CRMs (would ultimately sign
off on any new additions to the UK CRM List).
2. UK Government Responsible
Department
3. UK Central Data
4. UK Group Managing Central Data
5. UK Independent Expert Advisors
Responsible to
Responsible For
Manages
Delivery
of
Responsible
to
Collaborate
Advise
UK CRM List Candidates:
1. Iridium (Ir) [PGM]
2. Manganese (Mn)
3. Nickel (Ni)
4. Phosphates (P)
5. Ruthenium (Ru) [PGM]
UK DIT Supply Chain Resilience
Framework (See Next Slide)
6. UK Task & Finish Group on Critical Minerals Resilience for UK Industry
Critical Minerals Framework (TBD)
DIRECTION OF FUTURE UK GOVERNMENT CRM RELATED ACTIONS
• Engage with industrial sectors. Understand industrial sector CRM supply chain dependencies and vulnerabilities.
• Identify key CRM data sources.
• Identify data elements (attributes, data fields) on CRMs that need to be captured and reported across ALL industrial sectors.
• Continue engagement with industrial sectors working with test data and modelling different scenarios.
• Establish concise risk reporting dashboards which can accurately: (i) flag risks based on appropriate indicators, (ii) suggest CRM risk mitigation actions (potentially
recording in ML for use in AI)
Responsible For
Informs Above
Informs Above
Informs Above
Creates

UK CRM Refresh: UK DIT Supply Chains Resilience Framework
UK CRM
Strategy (2022)
UK CRM
Refresh (2023)
UK CRM List
(2022)
SOURCE: UK DIT (November 2022)

4 Conclusions

Conclusions: UK CRM Strategy, UK CRM Refresh, and CRM Value Chains
Activities to uncover
potential new CRM
deposits, for future
extraction.
CRM Mining and
extraction activities.
Extracted CRMs
(minerals, ores,
concentrates).
Processed into raw
materials (metals, oxides,
alloys, powders).
Raw materials containing
CRMs.
Formed into semi-finished or
finished products.
Products are then sold to
either: (i) end consumers, or;
(ii) other actors in the value
chain within own products
End consumer use.
May entail sending
products back to the
product manufacturer
for maintenance and
report activities
Products enter EOL state.
EOL products then collected /
transmitted into waste streams.
Waste streams operators may then
undertake Repair, Refurbishment,
Repurposing or Recycling activities.
Recycling activities result in
secondary raw material creation.
Achievements:
ü Trading Agreements (Australia, Canada, South Africa).
ü Multilateral Forums (IEA, MSP, SCMA).
ü UK ATF Funded refinery projects (Lithium, REEs).
ü UK International Funded Projects (Ayrton Fund, CIEF, ICF)
Work to be done:
ü Key Action: Define 2 key lists: (i) key UK strategic / critical
technologies, (ii) CRMs consumed by (i). This needs to be a
priority and not further vague references, both the US and EU did this
before developing their CRM policies.
ü Identify accurate CRM flows into the UK (accurate numbers not
estimates or trade data that ignores CRMs in products).
ü Fully disclosure of all funding given to industry, expected benefits,
duration and progress made (Pensana project)
ü UK lacks the concept of developing national CRM stockpiles,
which US already has, and EU is progressing towards (at each
member state level and sharing with industry EU CRMA.
ü Understand International approaches for CRM reporting, align as
closely as possible, avoid placing additional complex burdens, but do
keep abreast of emerging CRM reporting needs.
Achievements:
ü UKRI investment projects
(Met4Tech, REE recycling).
Work to be done:
ü Reporting system for
waste operators to
identify products with
CRMs or hazardous
chemicals.
ü Product labelling /
identification of CRMs
(like REEs in magnets
under EU CRMA).
ü Waste separation of
products containing CRMs.
ü Specialist waste streams
to undertake CRM
recycling activities.
Achievements:
ü UK CRM List established.
ü UK CMIC has produced initial CRM reports.
ü Met4Tech and UK government functions developing
CRM data analytics.
ü Welding equipment is the only product with a CRM
reporting requirement.
Work to be done:
ü UK should not rely solely on CRM data analytic
systems that are based on generalizations
(government / academia assumed CRM uses, or based
on inaccurate legacy data)
ü UK needs a clear mechanism defined for reporting
CRMs in products (EU has Ecodesign directive, EU
ESPR à EU DPP and EU CRMA defining CRM
reporting at product specific levels).
ü UK CRM traceability strategy needs to be clearly
defined. Outlining the roles of Met4Tech, UK
government departments and new UK Task & Finish
group

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