Iron Ore — The Foundation

Kiruna — The World's Largest Underground Mine

The Kiruna mine is the world's largest underground iron ore mine, operated by LKAB at a depth now exceeding 1,300 metres. The mine has been in continuous operation since 1900 and is central to Sweden's industrial economy.

The mine's expansion has created one of the most remarkable urban engineering challenges in history: the town of Kiruna (population ~23,000) is being relocated — entire buildings, churches, and civic infrastructure moved several kilometres — because mining has undermined the ground beneath the original town centre. This relocation, begun in 2014 and expected to continue through the 2030s, is without precedent in scale.

Bergslagen — Sweden's Historic Mining District

The Bergslagen (Mining District) region in central Sweden (Dalarna, Västmanland, Örebro) has been mined since at least the 13th century. Bergslagen was the engine of Sweden's industrial revolution: iron smelted here with charcoal from surrounding forests became Swedish steel, famed for its quality and exported across Europe. While large-scale iron mining has declined in Bergslagen, the region's mining heritage is preserved in industrial museums, mine tours, and the cultural landscape.

Copper, Gold, and Base Metals

  • Boliden — Sweden's second major mining company, operating mines primarily in Norrbotten and Västerbotten. Products include copper, zinc, gold, silver, lead, and nickel
  • Aitik — Near Gällivare; one of Europe's largest open-pit copper mines
  • Gold — Sweden produces several tonnes of gold annually, primarily as a byproduct of copper and zinc mining
  • Zinc and lead — Historically significant; the Falu copper mine in Dalarna (operated for over 1,000 years, closed 1992) also produced zinc, lead, and the iconic Falu rödfärg (Falun red paint) that colours Swedish wooden buildings

Rare Earth Elements — Europe's Strategic Reserve

In January 2023, LKAB announced the discovery of one of Europe's largest known deposits of rare earth elements (REEs) at Per Geijer, adjacent to the Kiruna iron ore body. The deposit is estimated at over one million tonnes of rare earth oxides — critical materials for electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, electronics, and defence systems.

This discovery has significant geopolitical implications. The EU's Critical Raw Materials Act identifies rare earths as strategically essential, and a European source would reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains. However, permitting in Sweden is notoriously slow — environmental reviews, Sámi land rights consultations, and local community concerns all factor into a lengthy approval process.

Environmental and Social Dimensions

Mining in Sweden operates under strict environmental regulation, but tensions persist:

  • Sámi land rights — Major deposits in Norrbotten overlap with Sámi reindeer herding areas. Mining expansion can disrupt migration routes, degrade pasture, and conflict with indigenous land use rights. The 2020 Supreme Court ruling strengthening Sámi land rights has intensified this tension
  • Environmental impact — Tailings dams, acid mine drainage, landscape disruption, and water contamination are persistent challenges. Sweden has hundreds of legacy mine sites requiring remediation
  • Climate paradox — The minerals needed for the green transition (rare earths, copper, lithium) must be mined, creating a tension between environmental protection and decarbonisation goals
  • HYBRIT — LKAB is partnering with SSAB and Vattenfall on the HYBRIT project to produce fossil-free steel using hydrogen instead of coal — potentially eliminating the single largest source of industrial CO₂ emissions in Sweden

Iron & steel industry — From ore to fossil-free steel — Sweden's industrial transformation

Green transition — HYBRIT and the push for fossil-free industry

19th-century Sweden — How mining and industrialisation transformed the nation