On the opposite side of the fjord from Narsaq is a mining project whose main backer has not generated the same hostility as Greenland Minerals. Greg Barnes, a prospector from Australia, has a license to mine the area, known as Tanbreez. The site has only trace amounts of radioactivity, Barnes says, but rich deposits of metals like tantalum, used in mobile phones, and zirconium, used in fuel cells and various kinds of electronics.
Barnes says U.S. officials “see us as a solution” to China’s dominance of rare earths.
Mining executives say they’re aware of the need to pay attention to climate concerns. Some mining companies see a chance to establish Greenland as a reputable source of the raw materials for emissions-free power generation and transportation.
Greenland Minerals has kept a low profile since the 2021 elections brought an anti-uranium government to power, but it has not given up on mining near Narsaq. The company is looking for ways to address local concerns, for example, by shipping the minerals somewhere else for processing rather than separating out the uranium in Narsaq.
But activists like Paviasen aren’t easily soothed. She knows how important Greenland’s clean air and water are.
“This is one of the most beautiful places in Greenland,” Paviasen says. “It’s worth fighting for.”