Mining company LKAB has announced plans to build a new sorting facility at its Malmberget mine in Gällivare, Sweden.
The project will entail an investment of Skr6bn ($640.38m), the Swedish miner said.
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It is part of the company’s plans to enhance its sorting process and boost production capacity, all while minimising environmental impact.
The construction phase is set to commence in 2025, with the plant anticipated to be operational by 2028.
Michael Palo, LKAB senior vice-president for the Iron Ore segment, said: “Our current sorting plant has served us well, but it has reached the end of its lifespan. The new plant is designed to handle larger volumes and is adapted to today’s operations in terms of work environment and technology.
“It’s a crucial investment to ensure continued long-term and profitable operations in Gällivare. With the new plant, we will eventually be able to sort an additional seven to eight million tonnes of crude ore, while also helping to secure volumes of apatite for potential extraction of critical minerals.”
The new facility will be constructed adjacent to the existing plant, which covers an area of approximately 24,000m².
LKAB said it evaluated the option of renovating the current facility but determined that this would not enhance capacity.
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By GlobalDataLKAB Malmberget area manager Monika Sammelin said: “By constructing a new sorting plant, we get a modern facility that both secures today’s production and increases capacity for our planned expansion.
“It also improves the working environment for our employees and reduces our environmental impact by lowering noise, dust, and carbon dioxide emissions from our operations.”
In February this year, Swedish construction company NCC signed a partnering agreement with LKAB for a new sorting plant in Gällivare.
