en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Swedish Land and Environment Court has granted mining company LKAB an environmental permit for continued and expanded mining and processing operations at the Malmberget mine in the Gällivare area. The ruling also approves LKAB to proceed with the construction of a demonstration plant for fossil-free sponge iron production and a new apatite processing facility.

This decision is critical to LKAB's long-term plans at Malmberget, which has been in operation since 1890. LKAB stated that the permit is not only a foundation for future growth but also a necessary condition for sustaining long-term mining operations.

The permit supports LKAB's overall strategy of expanding downstream from iron ore pellet operations into fossil-free sponge iron, a key raw material for low-carbon steelmaking. It also advances the company's entry into the critical minerals sector by initiating apatite processing. Apatite concentrate can be used to extract phosphorus for fertilizer production, as well as rare earth elements for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense applications.

LKAB noted that mineral resources at Malmberget now exceed 2 billion tonnes, surpassing the total amount extracted from the mine since the company began operations there 135 years ago. This ruling comes as Europe seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical raw materials to reduce dependence on imported minerals.

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