Kvanefjeld, Mineral deposit site in Kujalleq, Greenland

Kvanefjeld, locally Kuannersuit, is a broad plateau on the Ilimaussaq intrusive complex in Kujalleq, southern Greenland, overlooking fjords near Narsaq. Its ore occurs mainly in lujavrite, a dark agpaitic nepheline syenite whose layers hold rare earths and uranium in the minerals steenstrupine and eudialyte. The rock also hosts red villiaumite crystals and fluorescent tugtupite and chkalovite.

Danish geologists first surveyed Kvanefjeld in the 1950s while searching for uranium to support nuclear research programs. Over the following decades, different companies and research teams mapped the deposits in detail, though no mining has taken place so far.

Kvanefjeld sits close to the town of Narsaq, and local residents have strong feelings about what happens to the land around it. The debate over whether to mine the area has divided communities and sparked a broader conversation about who decides the future of Greenlandic resources.

Access to Kvanefjeld is not open to the general public and usually requires advance permission from local authorities. Anyone planning to visit the area should check current conditions before heading out, as rules can change depending on ongoing surveys or decisions.

In the 2021 Greenlandic general election, parties opposed to uranium mining, notably Inuit Ataqatigiit, formed government and passed Act No. 20 banning uranium mining and exploration above 100 ppm. Since Kvanefjeld's ore averages about 250–350 ppm U3O8, the law effectively blocked the project. In March 2022, Energy Transition Minerals began arbitration against Greenland and Denmark.