LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Greek aluminium producer Metlen Energy & Metals on Wednesday said it had signed a long‑term supply gallium agreement with an unnamed US technology company.


Metlen did not disclose the value of the contract but said it will take around 25% of the company's annual output and described it as the first major commercial gallium deal between a European producer and a US tech firm.

The company plans to begin gallium production in 2027, increasing to 50 tonnes a year by 2028, a level it said would be sufficient to meet the European Union's entire demand for the critical mineral.

Gallium - increasingly in demand - is used in defence applications, AI hardware and high‑performance semiconductors, and has become a strategic focus for Western governments after China - which has historically dominated global production - placed restrictions on exports.

Metlen said its gallium investment has been designated a strategic project under the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to boost domestic supply of key materials needed for the bloc's energy transition and security.

The European Commission last year identified 47 strategic projects, including in Greece, to support the development of critical raw‑materials production.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com

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