Romania-based Verde Magnesium has launched procurement for equipment for its planned primary-magnesium operation, the company said, advancing a project designated a Strategic Project under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. The procurement covers material preparation, aluminothermic reduction, research and development, and automation.
The new package follows earlier equipment procurements for refining and casting. Together, the planned equipment and operations are intended to support a European primary-magnesium chain, linking raw-material extraction with metallurgical conversion, refining and industrial customers.
The project has Strategic Project status under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act for both extraction and processing. The designation aligns with EU efforts to reduce excessive dependence on individual external suppliers for strategic materials, while Europe remains highly dependent on imported magnesium.
Verde Magnesium’s plans envisage production beginning at about 360 tonnes a year in 2028, rising to around 30,000 tonnes a year in 2031. The project could potentially reach 90,000 tonnes a year by 2036. These are planned production levels, rather than current output.
Magnesium is used in aluminium alloys, automotive lightweighting, aerospace, defence and other metallurgical applications. Europe’s exposure to supply disruption therefore affects both access to raw materials and manufacturing security, while the Romanian project is framed as an industrial-policy asset as well as a mining and processing operation.
Competitiveness will depend in part on electricity pricing, process efficiency, reagent sourcing, logistics and securing premium customers that value European origin and supply security. Magnesium production is power- and heat-intensive, and European projects must compete with established global supply chains while meeting stricter carbon and environmental standards.
The next steps include equipment awards, financing, construction sequencing and credible offtake commitments. If procurement leads to construction on schedule, the project would add new processing capacity in Southeast Europe under the EU’s critical-materials policy.
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