Top 10: Mining Companies in EMEA

The EMEA mining sector includes extraction of resources including coal, gold, platinum, diamonds, and base metals. Recent trends show a shift towards sustainable practices and increased automation.

The sector contributes significantly to the economies of countries like South Africa, Russia and Kazakhstan. Here, we look at the 10 largest (by market capitalisation) mining companies operation in the region 

10 Norsk Hydro 

Country: Norway
Market cap: $6.8bn
Norsk Hydro is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company that operates aluminium smelters, extrusion plants and recycling. Its activities range from bauxite extraction to finished aluminium products. It is also involved in hydropower production in Norway.

Its European operations include smelters in Norway and Germany, while in the Middle East, Norsk Hydro has a stake in the Qatalum smelter in Qatar. The firm's African presence includes bauxite mining operations in Guinea. 

09 Polyus 

Country: Russia
Market cap: $15bn
Polyus is a Russian gold mining company, primarily operating in Siberia and the Russian Far East. The company's flagship project is the Olimpiada mine in the Krasnoyarsk region, one of the largest gold operations globally. Polyus also operates the Blagodatnoye and Verninskoye mines, among others. 

The firm has invested in modernising its EMEA operations, implementing new technologies to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. 

08 Nornickel 

Country: Russia
Market cap: $45bn
Nornickel, also known as MMC Norilsk Nickel, is a Russian mining and metallurgical company. Its operations are concentrated in Russia, with significant presence in the Taymyr and Kola Peninsulas. 

The company's key assets include the Polar Division in Norilsk and Kola MMC in the Murmansk Region. These facilities produce nickel, copper, platinum group metals, and other by-products. Nornickel operates underground mines, processing plants, and smelting facilities in these regions. 

07 South32 

Country: Australia
Market cap: $14.7bn
South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company based in Perth, Western Australia. It was spun off from mining giant BHP Billiton in 2015 and has operations in Australia, Southern Africa, and South America. The company is involved in the production of a range of commodities, including aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel, silver, lead, and zinc. 

Its EMEA operations are centred in South Africa, where it owns and operates manganese mines in the Northern Cape province. These assets produce both manganese ore and alloy. 

06 ArcelorMittal

Country: Luxembourg
Market cap: $25bn
ArcelorMittal is a global steel and mining company. In EMEA, it operates numerous steel production facilities and mines, in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Poland. In Africa, ArcelorMittal has operations in South Africa and Liberia, where it mines iron ore. The Middle Eastern portfolio includes a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. 

Its EMEA operations produce a range of steel products for automotive, construction, and packaging industries. 

05 Anglo American 

Country: UK
Market cap: $40bn
Anglo American, headquartered in London, has significant operations in the EMEA region. In South Africa, it operates platinum group metals mines in the Bushveld Complex and has interests in Kumba Iron Ore. Anglo American's De Beers subsidiary conducts diamond mining activities in Botswana and Namibia. It also has a presence in Finland through its Sakatti copper-nickel-platinum project. 

04 Vale 

Country: Brazilian
Market cap: $70bn
Brazil-based Vale is a global mining company, and one of the world's largest producers of iron ore and nickel. While its most significant presence in its home country of Brazil, it has a number of strategic interests in the EMEA region.

It maintains a network of distribution centres and ports in Europe, including facilities in France, Germany, and the Netherlands, to serve its European customers. 

In Africa, Vale is exploring opportunities in Mozambique, where it once ran coal mines, before divesting these assets. 

The company's EMEA activities are focused on the sales, marketing, and distribution of its products, particularly iron ore and nickel, to European and Middle Eastern markets.

03 Glencore

Country: Switzerland
Market cap: $75bn
Glencore is one of the world’s largest globally diversified natural resource companies. Founded in 1974, the company was initially focused on the marketing of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and minerals, crude oil and oil products.

It operates extensively in EMEA, running copper mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, coal assets in South Africa, and ferroalloys operations in South Africa and Norway. 

02 Rio Tinto

Country: Australian-British
Market cap: $120bn
Rio Tinto is a Australian-British multinational mining company headquartered in London, UK, with operations and assets around the world. It was established in 1873 and has a long history of operations in Australia, where it is one of the largest producers of minerals, including iron ore, bauxite, and aluminium.

Rio Tinto is involved in the exploration, mining, and processing of a wide range of minerals, including iron ore, aluminium, copper, diamonds, gold, and uranium. 

01 BHP

Country: Australia
Market cap: $167bn
BHP Group is a multinational mining and resources company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The company was established in 2001 through the merger of BHP and Billiton, and has a long history of operations in Australia and around the world.BHP has operations in 90 locations across six continents, but is mainly concentrated in Australia and Canada. It mines and processes iron ore, copper, nickel, potash and metallurgical coal. 

In April 2023, BHP took over Oz Minerals in a $9.6bn deal. In recent weeks, BHP has been making global headlines, with its bids for Anglo American, a deal designed to make BHP the world's biggest copper miner.