Buried treasure

Katherine Dunn (“Dig for victory”, November) is right to point out the importance to the green transition of rare earth elements and the risks associated with the concentration of their production and processing in China. As the energy transition proceeds, the economic and potentially political importance of access to growing supplies of rare earths can only grow.

We do not, however, have to be passive in the face of Chinese dominance. Rare earths are to be found in many parts of the world, including the UK. A recent authoritative report from the British Geological Survey lists a number of areas where resources have been identified, for instance in Wales around the Preseli Hills and the area north of the Brecon Beacons; and in Scotland around Lochs Borralan, Ailsh and Loyal, northeast of Ullapool.

The challenge which has held back the mining and processing of rare earths in the UK has been economic. The volumes identified so far have typically been too small to make commercial development viable. The growth in demand, however, both in the UK and internationally, could change the economics and encourage more exploration and development.

Producing and utilising low-carbon energy sources is not just about building more wind turbines, on or offshore. Rare earths are part of a complex supply chain, and if we want the transition to progress rapidly to meet the ambitious net-zero targets being adopted by all the main UK political parties, we need to pay attention to each link in that chain. Rather than focusing on fracking, which will produce minimal volumes of gas and lead to higher emissions, there is a case for making the identification and development of rare earths a central plank of Britain’s energy policy.

Nick Butler, King’s College London and former BP executive