Half the world’s copper mining is controlled by just three countries, and China alone refines 40% of the metal central to the green energy transition away from fossil fuels.

If approved, plan would put the bloc on track to meet its 2030 goal of reducing planet-warming emissions by 55% from 1990 levels.

Over 25-year life, mine expected to produce 842,000 tonnes of nickel, 21 million tonnes of iron and 1.5 million tonnes of chrome valued at $19bn.

According to Roskill, China and Europe are currently the main contenders in the race to build out li-ion battery cell manufacturing capacity.