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Ukraine

Critical minerals, policy, and the energy transition

The Energy Transition in Ukraine

Ukraine’s energy transition is unfolding at a moment of profound national transformation. As the country emerges from the devastation of full-scale war, it is actively redefining its energy system, pivoting from inherited Soviet infrastructure to a cleaner, more resilient, and globally integrated model. At the centre of this transition is Ukraine’s remarkable endowment of critical minerals, which are increasingly recognised as strategic assets in the global race for clean energy leadership. The signing of the landmark United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund in April 2025 has reshaped the landscape for investment and recovery. By establishing a joint investment fund, the agreement unlocks U.S. capital and technology to accelerate development in critical sectors, particularly titanium, lithium, rare earth elements, and uranium. This partnership not only supports Ukraine’s economic revival but also positions the country as a reliable supplier to transatlantic clean energy and defence supply chains. Ukraine’s energy and mineral policy is now reoriented around ESG-aligned frameworks, deeper European Union integration, and long-term economic resilience. From nuclear power modernisation and renewables expansion to strategic mineral processing and circular economy initiatives, the transformation is ambitious and urgent. With rich resource potential and growing international alignment, Ukraine is poised to become a vital player in the future of global energy.

Latest news and insights

Stay ahead in the energy transition with SFA (Oxford)’s cutting-edge insights into how Ukraine’s titanium, lithium, and rare earth reserves, paired with post-war ESG frameworks, are reshaping its future in European critical mineral and clean energy markets.

U.S. and Ukraine Finalise Critical Minerals Deal

1 May 2025 | Jamie Underwood

On April 30, 2025, the United States and Ukraine signed a landmark agreement establishing a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund to support Ukraine's post-war recovery.

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Ukraine's international economic, trade, and security alliances

United Nations

WTO

EaP

CIS

OSCE

Minerals Security Partnership

US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund

Ukraine's energy and power mix

Ukraine’s energy and power mix reflects its industrial heritage and urgent need for modernisation amid ongoing conflict. Nuclear power remains the backbone of electricity production, supplying around 50% of domestic demand, supplemented by substantial reserves of natural gas and coal, critical to energy security and industrial activity. In recent years, Ukraine has made meaningful progress in expanding its solar and hydropower capacity, while its wind and bioenergy potential, particularly in agricultural regions, remains mainly untapped but promising.

The war has inflicted severe damage on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with repeated attacks on power plants, substations, and transmission lines causing widespread blackouts and supply disruptions. Notably, nuclear power plants, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, Europe’s largest—have come under direct attack and occupation, raising grave concerns over nuclear safety and regional security. Ukraine’s energy infrastructure also faces sustained cyber threats and hybrid attacks, further exposing its vulnerabilities.

To mitigate immediate crises, portable diesel and gasoline generators have become essential for maintaining critical services during outages. International partners, including the EU, USAID, and the IAEA, have provided vital assistance, both in emergency energy supplies and technical support to bolster nuclear safety and grid resilience.

Looking ahead, Ukraine’s long-term strategy centres on reducing its historical dependency on Russian energy imports by accelerating domestic production, investing in modern, resilient energy infrastructure, and deepening integration with European Union energy networks. Restoring, securing, and diversifying Ukraine’s energy system is essential for its national recovery and alignment with EU climate and energy goals.

Nuclear

Natural gas

Coal

Solar

Hydropower

Portable Generators (Diesel/Gasoline)

Critical Minerals deposits and occurrences in Ukraine

Ukraine hosts a diverse and extensive array of critical mineral deposits, many essential to clean energy technologies, defence applications, and industrial production. Its geology is particularly rich in light rare earth elements (LREEs), titanium, lithium, graphite, and uranium, with additional occurrences of strategic materials such as cobalt, nickel, scandium, and vanadium. These resources are distributed across key regions, including the Dnipro-Donetsk basin, the Carpathian region, and the Ukrainian Shield, offering significant potential for extraction and processing. However, access to certain high-value deposits, especially in the east and south of the country, remains constrained by ongoing conflict and occupation. Leveraging these mineral assets effectively will be critical to Ukraine’s economic recovery and strengthening Western supply chains amid rising global demand for critical raw materials.

Lithium

Beryllium

Graphite

Nitrogen

Fluorine

Neon

Magnesium

Aluminium

Phosphorus

Sulfur

Potassium

Scandium

Titanium

Vanadium

Chromium

Manganese

Iron

Cobalt

Nickel

Copper

Zinc

Gallium

Germanium

Bromine

Strontium

Yttrium

Zirconium

Niobium

Silver

Cadmium

Barium

Lanthanum

Cerium

Praseodymium

Neodymium

Samarium

Europium

Gadolinium

Terbium

Dysprosium

Holmium

Erbium

Ytterbium

Tantalum

Gold

Mercury

Lead

Thorium

Uranium

Ukraine-held critical minerals regions

Ukraine-Russia regional threats

Zhytomyr Region

  1. Stremyhorodskye (Ti, P2O5, Sc, Vd), discovered in 1954.

  2. Irshanske mine (Ti, Zr)

  3. Yastrubetske (Zr, trace REEs)

  4. Perzhanske (Be, REEs - Y-38%, Ce-21%, La-11%,Nd-8%, Dy-5%, Er-4%, Yb-4%, Gd-3%, Pr-2%, Sm-2%, Tb-1%, Ho-1%, Tm-1%, Lu-1%) - BeO reserves of ~13.9 kt, and resources of ~37 kt.

  5. Zhelezniaky (Cu, Ni, Co, Pt, Pd) with E&P licence up to 20 years (209 ha), grades of Ni - 0.66%, Cu - 0.63% and Co - 0.13%.

  6. Yurivska block (Ti, Zr) - Licensed

  7. Fedorivske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  8. Vydyborska block (Ti, Zr) - Prepared for e-Auction

  9. Trostyanets deposit (Ti, Zr) - Licensed

  10. Paromivske deposit (Ti, Zr) - Licensed

  11. Kropyvnian deposit (Ti, Zr)

  12. Krasnorichenske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  13. Livoberezhne deposit (Ti, Zr) - Licensed

  14. Mezhyrichne deposit I (Ti, Zr) - Licensed (sections Bukinska, Emilivska, Osynova, Serednya, Yurksa)

  15. Mezhryichne deposit II (Ti, Zr) - Licensed (sections Isakivska, Pivdenna)

  16. Selychchanska block

  17. Valky-Gatskivske deposit - Licensed

  18. Pidlisna block

  19. Stremyhorodske deposit (Ti, Zr, REE-Apatite)

  20. Irshynske deposit (Shershnivska, Turchynetska blocks)

  21. Verkhenie-Irshynske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  22. Davydkiske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  23. Zlobytske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  24. Irshanske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  25. Lemnenske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  26. Lemnenske deposit (West sections) (Ti, Zr)

  27. Lemnenske deposit (East sections) (Ti, Zr)

  28. Torchynske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  29. Ushytske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  30. Ushomyrske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  31. Prutivske field deposit (Ni, Cu, Co)

  32. Yastrubetske (REE, Zr)

Rivne Region

  1. Verbynska block (Mo) with an E&P licence up to 20 years with grades up to 2% Mo.

Zakarpattia Region

  1. Beresivskye (Pb, Zn)

  2. Muzhiivskye (Au)

  3. Sauliak (Au)

  4. Beregovo (Berehove) (Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu)

  5. Malobiganske (Ge)

Khmelnyskyi Region

  1. Burtynske deposit

    - Horodniavska block (sold), 130 Mt graphite ore held by Onur Group (Turkey)
    - Khmelivska block
    - Maidanska block with E&P license up to 20 years and graphite ore grade of 5.12% carbon

  2. Lisova block

Kiev Region

  1. Tarasivske block (Ti, Zr)

Vinnytsia Region

  1. Rizhkivskyi occurence (REEs, Th) with a 20-year production licence, and a Th grade up to 0.873%, and TR grade up to 0.35%.

  2. Sabarivske occurence (REEs), grade up to 6.44% TREO with a 20-year production licence (reserves at C2)

Cherkasy Region

  1. Avramivska Block (Ti, Zr) - Licensed

  2. Nosachivske Block (Ti, Zr) - PSA

Kirovohrad Region

  1. Kapitanivske (Cr, Ni)

  2. Klyntsyvske (Au)

  3. Youriivska block (Li) hosting petalite and spodumene minerals

  4. Klyntsivske (Au)

  5. Polokhivske (Li, Ta, Nb) @1.21% Li2O, comprising 85% petalite and 15% spodumene minerals held by UlkrLithiumMining (ULM)

  6. Stankuvatske (Li)

  7. Kremenchutski Mining Area (Fe)

  8. Kodatskyi (graphite) @4.17% carbon with an E&P license up to 20 years (56.97 ha)

  9. Balakhivskye 44 Mt graphite @6.27% carbon grade with a 24-year mine life, 50 ktpa concentrate production plant (stage 1) and 19 ktpa SPG (stage 2) held by BVG Group (Ukraine)

  10. Petrivske deposit (Vlasivska) @7.19% carbon with up to 20 years E&P licence

  11. Dobra Block @1.38% Li2O spodumene - petalite with an E&P licence up to 50 years (1707 ha) held by State of Ukraine, discovered in 1989 (includes Ta, Nb, Rb, Cs, Be, Sn, Au).

  12. Zarichna 33 Mt graphite ore with a 6.8% carbon grade, held by BVG Group (Ukraine).

  13. Zavallivske - 22.9 Mt graphite ore with 6.8% carbon grade held by Volt Resources (70% Australia) modernising processing facilities up to 60 ktpa and construction of CSPG plan with 50 ktpa

  14. Likarivske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  15. Stremyhorodskye deposit (Ti, Zr)

  16. Zavalievsky mine (Graphite)

  17. Stankuvatske (Li, Ta, Nb)

  18. Tarasivske (REE)

  19. Zhovtorichenske (Sc, U, Th, Fe, V)

  20. Lypnyazkyi occurence (REEs)

  21. Tashlytsky occurence (REEs)

  22. Novostankuvatske occurence (REEs)

  23. Vatutinske (U) - Smolinska mine 0.11% U, operating since 1973

  24. Severynivske (U)

  25. Michurinske deposit (U) - Ingulska mine 0.1% U, operating since 1968

  26. Novokostyantynivsk (U, Be, Ti, Fe)

  27. Schorsivske (U, Be) Beryllium content up to 0.06%

  28. Centralne (U, Fe, Be) Note beryllium content up to 0.02% across 10 m thickness

  29. Lisove, Dokuchaivske, and Litnye deposits (U, Be) show notable beryllium anomalies


Vinnytsia Region

  1. Rizhkivskyi occurence (REEs, Th) with a 20-year production licence, and a thorium grade up to 0.873%, and TR grade up to 0.35%

  2. Sabarivske occurence (REEs), grade up to 6.44% TREO with a 20-year production licence (reserves at C2)

Cherkasy Region

  1. Avramivska Block (Ti, Zr) - Licensed

  2. Nosachivske Block (Ti, Zr) - PSA

Poltava Region

  1. Kremenchuk Area (Fe) comprising 4.5 bn t @27-58% Fe

Mykolaiv Region

  1. Bohoslovskyi, Voievodivskyi (graphite) have an E&P license up to 20 years (2040 ha) with a graphite grade up to 9.54% carbon.

  2. Novuvysunska block

  3. Lozovatske (REE, U, Th)

  4. Kalynivske (REE, U Th)

  5. Pivdenne (REE, U)

Odessa Region

  1. Maiske (Au)

  2. Zavallivske deposit (graphite) comprising Khutir Andriivka block, Pivdenna Smuha block, Promizhna block, Pravoberezhna block, South-East block (licensed) and Zarichna block (licensed)

Sumi Region

  1. Bilovodske block (Ti, Zr) - 62 ha with E&P license up to 20 years, comprising inferred resources of 11 kt zircon, and 15 kt rutile

  2. Khrapyvshyna block (Ti, Zr) - 170 ha with E&P license up to 20 years, comprising inferred resources of 59 kt zircon, and 75 kt rutile

  3. Korchakiv block (Ti, Zr) - 750 ha with E&P license up to 20 years, comprising inferred resources of 115 kt zircon, and 137 kt rutile

Kharkiv Region

  1. Bilyaivske (Au)

  2. Krasnokutske block (Ti, Zr)

  3. Haydariv (Ti, Zr) - 971 ha with an E&P license up to 20 years, comprising inferred resources of 1,759 kt ilmenite, and 402 kt zirconium

Luhansk Region

  1. Bobrykyvske deposit (Au, Fe, Zn)

  2. Belorechenskaya coal mine

Dontesk Region

  1. Myktvivske (Hg)

  2. Shevschenkivske (Li) @1.1% Li2O spodumene - petalite with a production licence up to 20 years (40 ha) held by State of Ukraine

  3. Mazurivske (Ta, Nb, Zr, trace REE)

  4. Azovske (Zr, REE)

  5. Pokrovo-Kyreivske (Be, REE)

  6. Anadolske (REE)

  7. Petrovo-Gnutivske (REE)

  8. Voskresenivske (Li)

  9. Uspenivske (REE)

  10. Mariupolske deposit (REE)

  11. Starodubivsyi occurence (REE)

  12. Dianivske occurence (REE)

  13. Krasnooskolske (U)

Zaporizhia Region

  1. Novopoltavske (Ta, Nb, trace REEs-Apatite, St, Mg, U, P2O5)938 ha, discovered in 1970

  2. Bilozerskiy Mining Area (Fe) comprising 0.7 bn t @60% Fe

  3. Pyrazovvia iron-ore area comprising 2.9 bn t @27% Fe

  4. Krua Balka Block @0.86% Li2O (incl. Ta, Nb, Rb, Cs) with an E&P license up to 20 years spanning 150 ha held by State of Ukraine

  5. Tokmatskiy Mining Area (Mn)

  6. Novopoltavske - Pivdenne and Pivniche Mines  (REEs, Nb, Ta. St, U, F, Mn)

  7. Troiitske deposit (REEs)

Kherson Region

  1. Kryvorizkiy Mining Area (Fe)

Crimea Region

  1. Kerch basin (Fe) comprising 1.2 bn t @30-67% Fe

Dinipropetrovosk Region

  1. Malyshevske (Ti, Zr) comprising sections Motronivsko-Annivska and North-West section

  2. Malyshevske (Ti, Zr) comprising sections West, Central and East

  3. Sergiivske (Au)

  4. Zhovtorichenske (Fe, U, Sc, V)

  5. Kryvyi Rih basin (Fe) comprising 21.8 bn tonnes @ 30-67% Fe

  6. Sukhokhutirska block (Ta-Mg, Ni, Co) with E&P licence up to 20 years (127 ha), with Ni grades up to 0.5%

  7. Malyshevske deposit (Ti, Zr, REEs) and North-West-2 section

  8. Balka Kruta technogenic deposit (Ti, Zr)

  9. Vovchanske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  10. Voskresenivske deposit (Ti, Zr)

  11. Nikopolskiy Mining Area (Mn)

  12. Gurivske occurence (REEs)

  13. Surske (U)

  14. Zhovtorichenske (U)

Derived and processed Critical Minerals products and recycling in Ukraine

Alumina

Secondary Copper Refining

Ferromanganese

Ferronickel

Ferrosilicon

Silicomanganese

Pig Iron

Crude Raw Steel

Energy Raw Materials and products produced in Ukraine

Natural gas

Natural Gas Processing

Anthracite Coal

Bituminous Coal

Lignite Coal

Essential minerals production and products in Ukraine

Cement

Bentonite

Kaolin

Feldspar

Gypsum

Lime

Limestone

Salt

Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash)

Sulfuric Acid

LithoX | Critical Minerals and the Global Energy Transition

The global energy transition to net zero is underway. Who is leading? How are supply chains being secured? How do the geopolitics vary? SFA (Oxford) provides a global overview of critical minerals, policy and legislation.

Europe

Europe's focus on circular economies and sustainable practices underpins its approach to critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, essential for e-mobility and energy storage. The region's advanced economies drive innovation in mining and recycling, aiming for supply chain resilience.

Rare Earths Elements

Critical components powering the global economy, from high-tech consumer electronics to essential renewable energy technologies.

Minor Metals and Minerals

Minor metals play a pivotal role in advancing the energy transition by enabling significant improvements in energy efficiency and the performance of clean energy technologies.

Meet the Critical Minerals team

Trusted advice from a dedicated team of experts.

Henk de Hoop

Chief Executive Officer

Beresford Clarke

Managing Director: Technical & Research

Jamie Underwood

Principal Consultant

Dr Jenny Watts

Head of Clean Energy & Sustainability

Ismet Soyocak

ESG & Critical Minerals Lead

Rj Coetzee

Senior Market Analyst: Battery Materials and Technologies

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