METLEN Energy & Metals is investing €295.5 million to expand bauxite mining, alumina production and gallium output in Greece, creating an integrated critical-minerals platform. The programme targets annual production of approximately 2 million tonnes of bauxite, 1.265 million tonnes of alumina and up to 50 tonnes of gallium. Bauxite expansion is expected to begin in 2026, while the alumina and gallium facilities are planned to reach full production around 2028.
Gallium production forms a key part of the investment
Gallium is the most strategically significant element of the project, with applications in semiconductors, telecommunications, defence, advanced electronics and high-performance power systems. The development has attracted approximately €90 million in European Investment Bank financing, linking the investment to broader European objectives for critical raw-material supply. METLEN has also secured a long-term agreement covering approximately 25% of expected annual gallium production with a major US technology customer. The agreement provides contracted demand for part of the planned output.
Existing Greek industrial base supports expansion
The project builds on Greece’s established bauxite and alumina industry, allowing METLEN to use existing mining and processing capabilities, technical expertise and logistics infrastructure.
Rather than focusing solely on additional ore extraction, the investment expands processing and refining activities to produce higher-value materials. Bauxite provides the resource base, alumina adds industrial-scale output, while gallium provides exposure to a strategically important critical-minerals market. The development represents an integrated approach combining domestic bauxite mining with alumina refining and gallium recovery, increasing the level of mineral processing carried out within the regional supply chain.
