New world standard for mining
Ever since LKAB was founded in 1890, innovation and technological development have characterised our operations and our business. This has laid the foundations for our current position as an innovative and sustainable industrial company, with stable and profitable production. With over 130 years of experience, we have established tried-and-tested processes for moving from concept to profitable and sustainable business.
Our development work has been intensified in recent years, partly to enable the transformation to a new world standard for mining at great depths. This work is taking place close to the operations and existing work methods. A stated goal is that new technology and new methods from ongoing development projects can be gradually introduced into existing operations and at current mining depths once they have been proven to work, thereby contributing to increased productivity and higher volumes.
In larger development projects we see great advantages in driving innovation efforts in close collaboration with strategically important suppliers and research institutions. Our shared ambition is to identify innovative products and solutions that contribute to improved competitiveness.
By continuing to develop technologies, working methods and products, we can make a positive contribution throughout the value chain and ultimately add value for our owner, the industry and society in general.
All the strategic initiatives follow a scale-up model with four phases: the pilot phase, the demonstration phase, the industrialisation phase and the expansion phase. The aim is both to ensure financial sustainability over time and also to have the operational and technical conditions in place. If the conditions are not in place, the initiative is cancelled or postponed until the conditions are deemed to be more favourable.
A pilot study is carried out on a small scale to learn lessons and check the design of the study. Values are collected that can be used in later phases.
After a pilot study, a demonstration plant is established to test, evaluate and further develop technologies and solutions.
If the outcome is positive, an industrial phase begins where the operations and their capacity are scaled up to industrial level to become an integral part of the offering to the market.
Finally, and if the conditions are right, there is an expansion phase where the operations are scaled up further to either supplement or replace the previous offering.
