Chalmers University researchers find Europe's industrial waste streams could contain hundreds of tonnes of gallium and germanium, but recycling economics
Country Profile
Sweden
Country
Overview
About Sweden
Sweden has no rare-earth mine. It is working toward production along two routes.
The first route runs through iron ore at state-owned LKAB, which plans to make an apatite concentrate from material its Malmberget mine already extracts and ship it to an industrial park in Luleå, for phosphorus and rare-earth production. A demonstration plant there is built to test recovery of phosphorus and all 17 rare earth elements from that stream. LKAB's newer Per Geijer iron ore deposit, north of Kiruna, is high in phosphorus and also carries rare earths.
The second route is a dedicated mine. Norra Kärr, in Jönköping municipality, is a heavy rare earth deposit that its owner, Leading Edge Materials, describes as rich in dysprosium, terbium and yttrium, and the revised plan moves chemical processing to a separate site. Olserum, held by European Green Transition, is a third rare-earth project.
The open questions are economics and water. LKAB says its full-scale investment decision also depends on technical and market factors, and the government has told parliament that Norra Kärr cannot receive an environmental permit unless Lake Vättern's drinking water can be shown to be protected.
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REEx Intelligence
Recent Articles
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Sweden's LKAB secured an environmental permit for rare earth extraction, but industrial independence requires far more than regulatory approval.
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Europe's rare earth independence requires more than mines. LKAB's midstream refining strategy matters more than extraction for breaking China dependence.
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How the U.S. is breaking China's rare earth monopoly through DFARS 2027 ban, $700M+ OSC loans, and allied friendshoring to secure military supply chains.
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NYT oversimplifies Solvay's U.S. rare earth deals. Europe isn't lagging—it's becoming a critical midstream anchor in Western supply chains.
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China's export controls on heavy rare earths expose critical vulnerabilities in Western defense supply chains, sparking urgent efforts to develop alternative H…
U.S. defense contractors face critical challenges in eliminating Chinese rare earth materials by 2027, with national security implications and complex global s…
Chinese study reveals global shifts in rare earth exploration, highlighting multi-resource deposits and strategic implications for critical mineral supply chai…
Trump's controversial $500 billion Ukrainian mineral deal faces skepticism from experts over rare earth deposits and feasibility of extraction amid ongoing con…
Explore global rare earth mining landscapes, from China's dominance to emerging projects in Australia, US, and beyond, reshaping the critical mineral supply ch…
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Chinese research reveals global REE exploration trends, highlighting key discoveries in Greenland, Malawi, and beyond, with strategic implications for future s…
Leading Edge Materials advances its Norra Kärr Project, seeking Strategic Project status and exploring rare earth elements with potential European market indep…
Swedish mining company LKAB launches groundbreaking critical minerals facility in Luleå, aiming to boost Europe's mineral self-sufficiency and green transition.
HZDR's groundbreaking MaLaR Project transforms nuclear waste into valuable lanthanides, offering a sustainable solution for rare earth element extraction.
Jack Lifton exposes the challenges in rare earth mining, challenging sensational discoveries and critiquing Western efforts to compete with China's mineral dom…
LKAB's innovative industrial park in Luleå aims to transform mining waste into critical minerals, boosting European autonomy and sustainable resource productio…
Study reveals risks of Chinese ownership of wind energy in Sweden, including supply chain dependence and potential economic influence. EU initiatives aim to ad…
Discover how ANU and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are exploring extinct volcanoes for rare earths, potentially unlocking vast resources for renewable energy.
Swedish mining company LKAB discovers over 1 million tons of rare earth minerals in Kiruna, marking Europe's largest deposit, crucial for renewable tech.
