 |
   |
|
|
LKAB Constructs Facility for Critical Minerals - the First of its Kind in Europe
“The world has now turned its attention to metals and minerals once again. We are currently almost entirely dependent on imports for phosphorus and rare earth elements, while demand is rising sharply. By extracting these critical minerals, LKAB can make better use of the material we already mine and strengthen our future competitiveness, while also improving security of supply and preparedness in Europe. This facility is a crucial building block to make that possible,” said Jan Moström, president and CEO of LKAB. The supply of phosphorus for mineral fertilizers is essential for food security in Sweden and the EU, while rare earth elements are critical for the electrification and digitalization of society, such as the production of permanent magnets for electric vehicles and wind turbines. Once fully operational, the Industrial park’s production is estimated to meet approximately 7 times Sweden’s needs and 6% of the EU’s demand for phosphorus in agriculture. Currently, there is no mining of rare earth elements in Europe. ”The green transition and the electrification of our society start in the mine. It is an unsustainable contradiction to want electric vehicles and wind turbines without also taking responsibility for the raw materials. With this facility, we are taking a decisive step toward reducing Europe’s import dependency and ensuring access to critical minerals and metals for the future”, said Ebba Busch Minister for Energy, Business and Industry. On December 20, LKAB submitted an environmental permit application to the Land and Environment Court for the full-scale Industrial park for critical minerals in Luleå. At the same time, the permit process is underway for LKAB’s operations, including the apatite plant in Gällivare, with a decision expected at the end of 2025. The demonstration plant currently under construction will also serve as a Research and development center, providing an opportunity to explore and develop future potential sources for further refinement. “Thanks to our successful exploration efforts, we see enormous potential in continuing to develop the technology, aiming to extract phosphorus and rare earth elements from other mineralizations as well. The results from the plant, together with the environmental permit for the industrial park, will form the basis for future decisions on scaling up production. The ambition is to secure the substantial expansion opportunities we foresee step by step, with the Per Geijer deposit in Kiruna playing a crucial role,” said Jan Moström. At the end of 2023, LKAB’s mineral resources of REE oxides (Rare Earth Oxides) in the new Per Geijer deposit in Kiruna amounted to approximately 1.7 million t in situ, making it one of Europe’s largest deposits of rare earth elements. The deposit is primarily an iron ore deposit with high concentrations of both phosphorus and rare earth elements.
|
|
|||
© InfraStructures - Tous droits réservés - All rights reserved |
On October 24, LKAB’s board decided to invest approximately SEK800 million ($110 million) in establishing the Demonstration plant, which is planned to be operational in 2026. The aim is to further develop and verify the process for utilizing material flows from iron ore production in Gällivare, where apatite concentrate is produced for further refinement and production of critical minerals in Luleå. Through a stepwise expansion, the operations can then be scaled up with additional processing facilities over time, aiming for full operation during the 2030s.
Partagez sur Facebook / Share on Facebook 
