The European Union has appointed a consortium of PriceWaterhouseCoopers EU Services and Slovak software firm Sféra to develop a €9 million platform for joint purchasing of critical minerals and energy. The platform, set to launch in 2025, will include mechanisms for raw materials, hydrogen, and energy products like natural gas and biomethane.
This initiative forms part of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which aims to reduce reliance on China by bolstering domestic production of essential resources for technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines.
The CRMA follows the success of AggregateEU, a gas purchasing platform launched during the 2022 energy crisis. While the platform helped consolidate resources, critics argue its effectiveness in ensuring affordable prices and market influence remains limited.
With eight proposals received, including bids from Deloitte and Metalshub, this latest project underscores the EU’s focus on securing resource supply chains and advancing its green energy goals.
