Greek industrial group Metlen has closed a long-term commercial agreement with a leading Japanese chemical corporation, securing up to 16 percent of the annual gallium that its new plant will produce. The deal follows a July 2026 commitment with a major U.S. technology company, which already reserved roughly 25 percent of the same output.
The upcoming facility, slated for commercial operation in the third quarter of 2027 is designed for a capacity of 50 metric tons per year. Metlen’s management anticipates that the total production will be fully pre-sold months before the first batch rolls off the line, a situation that underscores the intense global appetite for gallium.
Supply agreements lock in demand ahead of plant commissioning
The Japanese contract represents the second strategic forward-sale disclosed by Metlen. While the exact commercial terms remain confidential, the allocation of up to 16 percent of yearly output signals strong confidence from Asian industry players in the European source. The earlier U.S. agreement, concluded in July 2026, locked in about a quarter of the plant’s capacity, making it the first major supply pact between a European gallium producer and a U.S. tech firm.
Gallium is a critical component for artificial intelligence hardwarerenewable-energy systems advanced telecommunications gear and defense applications. Because most of the world’s gallium currently emerges from a narrow set of producers, companies worldwide are racing to diversify their supply chains. Metlen’s deals illustrate that this diversification drive is now bearing fruit, with both trans-Pacific and Atlantic customers betting on a European source.
Europe’s first integrated gallium pipeline takes shape
The plant will be the continent’s inaugural integrated gallium production line. Operating under Metlen’s Critical & Rare Metals division—part of the broader M Metals Business Unit—the facility will extract the metal using proprietary technology fed by raw material from the group’s wholly owned Aluminium of Greece refinery. This vertical integration ensures a stable, domestically sourced feedstock, a factor highlighted by Metlen’s Executive Chairman, Evangelos Mytilineos.
“The international response to our gallium project continues to exceed expectations,” Mytilineos said. “These successive agreements prove that global industry is actively seeking reliable, high-quality and diversified supply sources.” He added that the investment positions Greece within a new global technology ecosystem while reinforcing Europe’s emerging role in a strategic market that will drive the next generation of industrial innovation.
EU institutions endorse the project as a strategic priority
The European Commission has formally classified Metlen’s gallium plant as a Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act. In parallel, the European Investment Bank approved financing for the venture within the framework of REPowerEU the EU’s plan to secure energy independence and bolster strategic supply chains. These endorsements not only provide financial backing but also signal political commitment to building a resilient, Europe-centric raw-materials ecosystem.
With the plant’s construction already underway and a near-complete order book, Metlen is on track to deliver a fully contracted production stream well before its official start-up in 2027. The combination of private commercial contracts and public strategic support makes the project a benchmark for how Europe can mobilize industry, finance and policy to capture a share of critical material markets.
