Sweden's northernmost city is a place like no other, with breathtaking natural beauty, a brand new city center, rich cultural experiences and lots of available jobs. Since the beginning of the 20th century, we have conducted mining operations in the Kiirunavaara mountain. Today it is the world's largest underground mine for iron ore. Here we also investigate the Per Geijer deposit, an iron ore deposit that contains high levels of phosphorus and is one of Europe's largest known deposits of rare earth elements.
The Per Geijer deposit consists, in addition to iron ore, of high levels of phosphorus and rare earth elements, REE. The deposit is one of Europe’s largest deposits of REE. It can become a significant building block in the transition towards a society less dependent on fossil fuels.
LKAB has submitted an application for a processing concession under the Minerals Act for the deposit. Consultations with authorities, the general public and those particularly affected have taken place in 2022-2023.
In a concession case, questions regarding the use of land and water are examined. A concession would give LKAB exclusive rights to the deposit, but it does not give us the right to start mining. For that, other permits are required, mainly environmental permits (according to the Environmental Code). That process also includes consultation with, among others, the general public and those particularly affected.
The process for a processing concession is ongoing and we hope for a decision within a few years.
Experience the process of turning our high-grade iron ore into world-class iron ore pellets and other iron ore and mineral products.
For more than 130 years, the mine and the town of Kiruna have worked and developed in close relation to each other. In the autumn 2022 a brand new city centre was inaugurated.
