Swedish mining industry

Sweden – Europe’s leading mining nation

In the car, in the tablet, in the battery and in the wind turbine – everywhere in our modern society it is necessary with minerals and metals. Thanks to Sweden’s mineral-rich bedrock, considerate environmental legislation and world-class innovation power, Sweden has long been Europe’s leading mining nation.

Today, Sweden accounts for around 93 percent of all iron ore produced in Europe. We are also one of the leading producers of other base metals. We should be proud of that. Metals are perfect recyclable materials, they can be used, reshaped and recycled. Of course, it should be utilized. However, the metals that exist today is not enough. We must add new material into the circular system. This is where the Swedish mining industry comes into the picture.

In Sweden, the conditions to build on our already strong mining cluster and continue to lead innovation and development along the entire processing chain and reduce our dependence on imports are good and strong. For today, large quantities of minerals and metals are imported into the EU. The content of your car, your phone and the wind turbines, which we would like to generate our climate-smart energy, requires many different metals. Metals that all too often originate in countries very far from Swedish environmental legislation (one of the strictest in the world) and perhaps even farther from Swedish health and safety legislation.

But it is not primarily our needs here in Sweden, or even in Europe, that must above all be met. Without it, the millions of people in the world who are about to rise out of poverty will account for the greatest demand. It would be immoral to deny them the material standard that we ourselves take for granted. We believe that the raw materials should be as sustainably produced as possible. We can do that in Sweden.

The Swedish mining and mineral industry today are in absolute world class and we who operate in the industry are aware of our responsibility to limit the impact on nature. We know we are doing a good job and we are happy to discuss how we can continue to develop.