Jorgen Hammeken-Holm: Deputy Minister of Business, Mineral Resources, and Energy for Greenland Home Rule

The fishing industry has been the largest sector of Greenland’s economy for many years, but recent pushes for more financial independence hope to change that. Tourism and the extraction of mineral resources are some of the new business avenues that Greenlanders have been exploring in recent years.

Jorgen Hammeken-Holm is the Deputy Minister of Business, Mineral Resources, and Energy for Greenland Home Rule. He has held various positions in Greenland’s government for over 28 years and became the deputy minister of mineral resources and energy in 2015.

According to the Dutch government website, Greenland Home Rule is the government established by the Greenland Home Rule Act, which gives it “legislative and executive power in the fields of responsibility” outlined by the act, and “judicial power in all fields of reasonability.”

As the deputy minister of business and energy, Hammeken-Holm is very familiar with Greenland’s economy. He explains that the biggest export in Greenland is seafood, such as shrimp, crab, and halibut, and that the economy is boosted by a large block grant from Denmark and smaller support from the EU. The fishing industry that supports most of their economic output is dominated by two large companies, which operate a small fleet of trawlers that handle the vast majority of commercial fishing.

He describes the downsides of their economy as being “very vulnerable because it’s depending on the fishery very much.”

New Economic Opportunities

However, there are plans to diversify their income. Hammeken-Holm describes that strategy in two parts. First, he says that, “ since 2010, mineral resources have been a part of that strategy,” as there are mineral resources present in many places in Greenland.

Excraction of Mineral Resources

Mineral resources have been part of many of the recent headlines concerning Greenland. Hammeken-Holm explains the mineral resources present by saying that they have “almost everything”. He lists gold and critical minerals, such as aluminum, platinum, and uranium, as the ones dominating foreign interest right now, though this shifts over time. However, it could take some time to extract these minerals, as Greenland only has two small mines on it currently.

Hammeken-Holm is hopeful for future mining activity in Greenland; however, by saying, “when I say potential, it means that we have only two mines in place and they are active. So what we usually say is that we have a very big potential in Greenland… It is certainly long-term. And that is not only for Greenland, that’s also for the whole world. It takes time.”

Expanding the Tourism Industry

The other initiative is expanding the tourism industry, initially by making the country more accessible to foreign tourists. One of the major steps to increase accessibility has been to build an international airport in Nuuk, the capital, with plans for more in other parts of the country.

Hammeken-Holm describes these efforts by saying, “We have a strategy of creating more income from tourism, and that has been developing very rapidly for the last three years… So we are well covered by accessing the most important parts of Greenland from abroad. That will help certainly on the tourism sector. Greenland has not been that good on developing activities around tourism, but it will come.”

As for imports, Greenland has to import most of their food and everyday goods. However, many people still hunt and fish to help support their local families and communities.

Hammeken-Holm characterizes the difference between the larger commercial fishing operations and individual fishers by saying, “It is divided into two areas. You have the offshore [for the larger companies], and then you have the close areas in the fjords, and it’s for the locals.”

Greenland’s Energy Sector

They also have to import oil for vehicles and generators, and the energy needed to power the settlements and cities. Hammeken-Holm states that one company supplies all of the energy for Greenland, and there is no grid between cities. Cities have to set up what he calls “island supply,” which means diesel-powered generators for smaller settlements, and hydropower for the larger towns and cities.

He describes the energy sector in further detail by saying that “ You have to have a special setup for every city or settlement. And you also have to have a backup on sites.”

As for international interest in Greenland’s resources, Hammeken-Holm welcomes it by saying,” I think it’s necessary. We’re welcoming any foreign investors as long as they fulfill and deal with our rules and regulations.”

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This story is part of a semester-long investigative reporting project into Greenland’s people, history, and culture. It was created by an advanced reporting class in the Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies program at UW-Milwaukee. Other stories from the project are available on Edge of the Arctic: Greenland, the Land of the People.

This work was made possible through the support of MPC Endowment Ltd., the philanthropic affiliate of the Milwaukee Press Club, and a private donor.