Rare metals can direct the world's gaze to Västervik

As the attempts to phase fossil fuels become more and more intense, there is an ever-increasing demand for so-called green technology - for example, batteries, motors and generators - which allows to capture, store and consume energy that does not heat the climate.

But green technology also requires resources, including so-called rare earth metals. The problem is that these are mainly mined today in China.

In a survey of Europe's and Sweden's assets, the Olserum area north of Västervik, among others, is identified as highly interesting.

Today, two different companies have exploration licenses in the area, which means that they have to look for the metals and have the first choice to proceed to drilling if they find something.

But the assets are not problem-free, the deposits include uranium - which could lead to environmental degradation. A few years ago, both the municipality and the county administrative board said no to a company that wanted to drill in the area.

Also southwest of Västervik are interesting metals for the technology of the future. In the bedrock beneath the closed Gladhammar mine is cobalt, a metal that can be used in batteries. Today, the metal is mined in war-torn Congo.

The area around Gladhammar is also imputed, Australian, Canadian and a Swedish company has the right to look for metals here, something that forestry user Bertil Lundén has noticed.

Today, there is no intensive activity in Olserum or Gladhammar and any mining operation is far away. But the prices of the metals can change rapidly, due to the uncertainty in the world and the rising demand.

Then the world's mining companies can once again focus their eyes on the closed mining districts outside Västervik.