The plant is the first of its kind in Europe.
– We must start to see self-sufficiency as a necessity, says Energy and Business Minister Ebba Busch (KD).
Today, the EU is entirely dependent on imports from China and that you want to change. In May 2024, an EU regulation was also taken to make Europe less vulnerable.
– The effects on energy issues after Russia’s full -scale invasion war at Ukraine will appear as a lukewarm summer evening in comparison to the effects on critical raw materials and metals if we do not secure our self -sufficiency, says Busch.
Powder shipped to luleå
Mining waste from, among other things, Malmberget contains rare soil metals that will now be extracted.
– If we talk about this particular facility in Luleå, the fully expanded will meet 20 percent of Europe’s current needs, says Jan Moström, President and CEO LKAB.
The waste containing phosphorus and rare soil metals (ree) will come in powder form to the plant in Luleå where you will extract ree, phosphorus for mineral fertilizers and plaster for the construction industry.
The deposit Per Geijer in Kiruna also holds high levels of the requested substances.
Expected completed next year
LKAB’s demo plant is planned to be in operation in 2026 and the company is investing SEK 800 million in the project.
The purpose of the demo plant is to further develop and verify the process for using material flows from iron ore production in Gällivare, where apatite concentrate is produced for further processing and production of phosphorus and rare soil metals in Luleå.
Through a step-by-step expansion, operations can then be expanded with more process plants over time, to be in full operation during the 2030s.
– Through LKAB’s investment in critical minerals, we position ourselves as a leading region within the green transition. The journey begins in the mine in Gällivare, says Birgitta Larsson (S), chair of the municipal council in Gällivare municipality.