Progress in Luleå for the investment in critical minerals
It has been just over a year since LKAB broke ground on the planned industrial park on Svartön in Luleå. The investment is a central part of the company's long-term work to create a European value chain for phosphorus and rare earth elements.
“This year has shown the power of the project and how quickly we can move forward when technology, permits and local conditions begin to fall into place”, says Ulrika Håkansson, LKAB’s business manager for the critical minerals project.
The industrial park in Luleå, together with the iron ore production in Malmberget, forms the basis for LKAB to be able to extract critical minerals from residual products from the iron ore operations. Over the past year, the permit process has continued with in-depth dialogues on environmental impact, water management, transport and other local conditions. The project has been designated as strategic within the EU’s regulatory framework for critical raw materials, which means high demands on transparency and continuous information to both authorities and the public.
At the same time, work on the new demonstration plant in Luleå has made clear progress. Following the board’s investment decision in the autumn of 2024, construction has continued according to plan. The building is now complete and the installation of process equipment is underway. Commissioning is expected in the autumn. In Malmberget, a pilot plant has been installed in the enrichment plant, making it possible to test and develop the entire process chain from raw material to finished product.
The demonstration plant will be the first in Europe to test technology to extract both phosphorus and all 17 rare earth elements from the residual stream from iron ore production. These raw materials are central to, among other things, mineral fertilisers, batteries, wind power and electronics.
Ulrika Håkansson highlights that the past year has been particularly important for building knowledge and ensuring the function of the technology.
“The fact that we can now develop and verify the process in both Luleå and Malmberget gives us a strong basis for future decisions. This is long-term work that can strengthen both Swedish and European self-sufficiency in critical minerals,” she says.
During the coming year, work will continue to complete the plant, integrate the technical systems and complete the permit processes. LKAB’s investment in Luleå marks the beginning of a new type of industrial operation in Sweden, where residual flows from mining production can be converted into important resources for the sustainable societies of the future.
