Swedish iron ore producer LKAB has announced that it has delayed the production of fossil-free sponge iron in Kiruna to the 2040s as it has found out that it can increase the production volume of pellets and fines at the mine.
“In Kiruna, we have a different situation compared to just a few years ago. With insights into the new deposit, we see that we can increase the production volume. This means that we will gradually be able to increase the production of iron ore by up to 50 percent during the 2030s,” Jan Moström, CEO of LKAB, said.
Meanwhile, in Gällivare, the work is proceeding as planned with the HYBRIT technology and the demonstration plant for sponge iron. Sweden-based HYBRIT, a fossil-free steel joint venture between Swedish specialty steel producer SSAB, LKAB and Sweden-based power company Vattenfall, will establish a demonstration plant with a planned annual production capacity of 1.3 million mt of fossil-free sponge iron in Gällivare, as SteelOrbis previously reported. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026.