STOCKHOLM, Jan 12 — Swedish state-owned mining company LKAB said today it had identified mineral resources of more than one million tonnes of rare earth oxides in the Kiruna area, the largest known such deposit in Europe.
Rare earth minerals are essential to many high-tech manufacturing processes and are used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, portable electronics and microphones and speakers. “This is good news, not only for LKAB, the region and the Swedish people, but also for Europe and the climate,” LKAB CEO Jan Mostrom said in a statement. “It could become a significant building block for producing the critical raw materials that are absolutely crucial to enable the green transition.”
Rare earth elements are currently not mined in Europe, leaving the region depending on imports from elsewhere, while demand is expected to rise in coming years due to a ramp-up in electric vehicles and renewable energy. “Electrification, the EU’s self-sufficiency and independence from Russia and China will begin in the mine,” Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch said in the statement.The European Commission considers rare earths to be among the most critical resources for the region. The vast majority of rare earths are currently mined in China.
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