Energy Transition Minerals (ETM)which via Greenland Minerals, has an exploration license for Kuannersuit, no longer has the Greenlandic businessman Svend Hardenberg on the payroll.
– I can confirm that Svend Hardenberg has resigned from his role at Energy Transition Minerals. Svend has contributed significantly during an important period for the Kuannersuit project, and we wish him all the best, writes director Daniel Mamadou to Sermitsiaq.
Energy Transition Minerals (ETM)which via Greenland Minerals, has an exploration license for Kuannersuit, no longer has the Greenlandic businessman Svend Hardenberg on the payroll.
– I can confirm that Svend Hardenberg has resigned from his role at Energy Transition Minerals. Svend has contributed significantly during an important period for the Kuannersuit project, and we wish him all the best, writes director Daniel Mamadou to Sermitsiaq.
Local experience and network
Svend Hardenberg was hired as a strategic advisor for the Australian company back in March 2024 with the aim of “increasing the company’s presence in Greenland”.
According to a stock exchange announcement, Svend Hardenberg’s experience and network should contribute to the company’s continued success and open doors to the Greenlandic political community.
With Svend Hardenberg’s exit, there are no longer Greenlandic advisers associated with the company. The remaining advisers are the former Danish ambassador to the USA, Friis Arne Petersen, and the former Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod. In addition, the former Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop, who according to Australian media recently had to leave her job as chairman of the board of the Australian National University in Canberra after massive criticism.
Finally, the company has also allied itself with a new adviser from the United States, Alexander B. Gray, who was a security adviser to President Trump during his first term as president.
Lawsuit
ETM has filed a lawsuit against the municipality because they believe that they are entitled to a process towards an extraction license for Kuannersuit, even though their project does not comply with the uranium law from 2021. That lawsuit is still not scheduled.
The company held on 3 June a online shareholder and investor webinarwhere director Daniel Mamadou expressed, among other things, that the authorities are dragging out the trial and that they only expect it to begin in October at the earliest.
The company also faces losing their exploration license. The Department for Raw Materials has sent a draft of a decision that the company should not have their license extended. If Naalakkersuisut approves this, it will mean that the company can no longer carry out exploration in the area.
Uncertainty about exploration license
To Sermitsiaq, director Daniel Mamadou says that they will continue to employ local people for their project in Narsaq, and that they will also maintain a local presence in Greenland, even though there is uncertainty about their exploration license.
– We have employees and consultants in Greenland who support our ongoing activities. As previously announced, we had planned an extensive exploration program at Kuannersuit this summer; however, following communications from the authorities that created uncertainty about our exploration license, we have been forced to halt these plans. Unfortunately, this has affected some of the local tasks associated with the programme. We hope to resolve these issues in time so that our exploration activities can resume and we can support local job opportunities.
Strong legal case
Daniel Mamadou assures that the company remains fully committed to Kuannersuit.
– We are confident that our legal case is strong. We hope that the Greenlandic government will be willing to change its current approach and discuss how the project can get started, so that Greenland lives up to its ambitions to be open to business.
Earlier, Daniel Mamadou told Sermitsiaq that he is sorry that the authorities do not want to enter into a dialogue with the company about whether the project can be changed so that it better meets local concerns.
The Department for Raw Materials informs Sermitsiaq that they have just submitted their first procedural submission to the High Court. And that the next deadline for them is 10 August for any other procedural submissions.
In relation to the decision on the extension of ETM’s exploration permit, the Ministry of Raw Materials states that it is expected at the end of June.
