Belgium has approved a state guarantee to help cover advance payments for future germanium supplies from DR Congo.
The pact backs a plant that, once at full capacity, could supply up to 15% of the world’s demand for the critical mineral, as Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on China.
The guarantee would allow Umicore, a major Brussels-based refiner, to pay upfront for future germanium supplies under terms still being negotiated, while shifting part of the commercial risk to the Belgian state.
Supply of germanium, used in fiber-optic networks, infrared defense systems, and semiconductors, is dominated by China, which produces about 60% of global output and has restricted exports since 2023. “We cannot count on China,” Peter Handley, a former European Commission official who worked on the EU’s critical minerals policy, told Semafor.
A unit of DR Congo’s state miner Gécamines supplies Umicore from a plant capable of producing around 30 tonnes a year. It began commercial shipments in late 2024 and produced an estimated four to five tonnes of contained germanium last year.
