Mining and Materials

A Leader in Sustainable Mining

Sweden’s mining industry stands out as the world’s most sustainable due to its strong engineering tradition—one of fostering collaboration between academia, business, and government to drive innovation. With Europe’s largest rare-earth deposit, Sweden will play a crucial role in supplying minerals essential to the technology required to enable green transition.

In response to the global challenge of sustainably securing raw materials, Sweden’s northern mineral-dense region is pioneering green extraction of minerals and production of metals. The Sustainable Underground Mining initiative, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2018, that includes a testbed and virtual mine to develop and test new technology for mining at great depths, sets a new world standard for the mine of the future.

Swedish manufacturers and service providers offer a wide range of solutions within electrification, digitalization, and automation, and are actively contributing to green transition and to more sustainable, efficient, and safer mining operations.

Epiroc develops and manufactures drill rigs, rock excavation, and construction tools. In 2022, it launched the first ever battery-electric surface drill rig. Epiroc will offer emissions-free versions of its complete fleet of underground mining equipment by 2025, and emissions-free versions of its full fleet for surface operations by 2030. To further strengthen its presence in the United States, Epiroc recently acquired Oregon-based Stanley Infrastructure Inc. for $760 million.

Renowned for its automated and electric mining equipment, Sandvik is another key player in advancing the sustainability of mining, rock processing, and metal-cutting industries by implementing innovation, digitalization, and sustainable engineering.

4th Trade and Technology Council

During the 4th Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting in May 2023 in northern Sweden, Secretary Blinken and others got to experience Swedish excellence in the green and digital transition, such as the fossil-free steel manufacturing at Hybrit plant.
Photo: www.regeringen.se

65% of the world’s underground mining equipment market is held by Swedish companies.

Introducing the World to Green Steel

Sweden is revolutionizing the heavy-polluting steel industry with the project HYBRIT, a unique initiative by LKAB, the steel manufacturer SSAB, and the state-owned energy company Vattenfall developing the world’s first fossil-free steel. Other prominent actors in the green steel business are H2 Green Steel and GreenIron.

The HYBRIT technology has allowed SSAB to launch the world’s first fossil-free steel.

In 2022, Sweden exported minerals worth $15,3 billion and iron and steel worth $8,9 billion

Revolutionizing Battery Production

Northvolt is establishing itself as a leading global provider of sustainable battery cells for the automotive segment as well as complete battery systems for the heavy industrial and energy-storage markets. Situated in the north of Sweden, the first gigafactory by Northvolt runs on 100% renewable energy and produces lithium-ion battery cells. When fully developed, the factory will produce cells for approximately one million electric vehicles annually. The Stanford University spinoff Cuberg Cuberg was acquired by Northvolt in 2021, developing next-generation lithium-metal cells.

In November 2023, Northvolt announced a breakthrough in the battery industry, the cutting-edge sodium-ion battery, which is safer, more cost-effective, and more sustainably produced than other batteries.

Mining Industry graphs

The Swedish mining industry has a long history of successful innovation, which has had great significance for the mining industry in Sweden and around the world.
Photo:vinnova.se