Swedish iron ore producer LKAB has announced that the Land and Environmental Court has granted the company an environmental permit for its continued and expanded mining and processing operations in Malmberget, Gällivare.
According to LKAB, the permit is a decisive step for the future of the 135-year-old mining operation, covering both continued and expanded production as well as measures aimed at reducing the company’s impact on air and water. The permit also includes the establishment of a demonstration plant for fossil-free sponge iron production and a new apatite processing plant, which will supply apatite concentrate to LKAB’s planned industrial park in Luleå.
LKAB said the decision is important for securing its operations for decades to come, strengthening its competitiveness through the further processing of pellets into fossil-free sponge iron and expanding its business in critical minerals. The company added that Malmberget’s mineral resources now exceed 2 billion mt, more than the total volume mined since operations began in 1890.
