As the US and the West races to break China's stranglehold over rare earths production, some firms are betting that Greenland will become a new mining frontier.

Standing on a barren rocky slope overlooking the Killlavaat Alannguat mountain in southern Greenland, Tony Sage pointed across the fjord. “We’ll have two pits initially,” the CEO of Critical Metals said, gesturing towards the site of the proposed mine.

Backed by jagged-peaks, and covering a 15 sq km (9.3 sq miles) swathe of hillside that plunges steeply to the seashore, the Tanbreez project is among the largest of several rare earth deposits found in Greenland.

“You’ve got the black, the white and the red,” said the Australian, picking up a colourful lump of rock. “The red is what everyone’s after. That’s where the rare earths are.”