LKAB advances its SEK 800M Luleå demonstration plant toward late 2026 commissioning, targeting recovery of all 17 rare earths from iron-ore mining waste.
Company Profile
LKAB
Overview
About LKAB
Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) is a Swedish state-owned mining and minerals group founded in 1890 and headquartered in Luleå, Sweden. It mines iron ore underground at Kiruna and Malmberget in Arctic Lapland and produces iron ore pellets; LKAB says it mines over 80 percent of all iron ore in the EU. LKAB is moving into critical minerals through its ReeMAP project, which covers the Malmberget mine, an industrial park in Luleå and the Per Geijer deposit north of Kiruna, and which the European Commission approved as a strategic project under the Critical Raw Materials Act in March 2025. LKAB plans to make an apatite concentrate from material already mined at Malmberget and process it in Luleå into rare earth elements, phosphorus for mineral fertilizers and gypsum. LKAB reports the Land and Environment Court granted an environmental permit for the Luleå industrial park in May 2026, and it said in September 2026 that its demonstration plant there is due to begin operating soon. LKAB’s 2025 PERC report puts Per Geijer’s mineral resources at about 2.2 million metric tons of rare earth oxides. REEtec, the Norwegian separation company, names LKAB as its largest shareholder.
Investor Snapshot
Operations & Materials
Corporate Structure
REEx Intelligence
Recent Articles
Poland launches a $50M, eight-year critical minerals exploration program, but rare earths rank lowest in priority as Europe seeks a full supply chain.
LKAB breaks ground on a SEK 6 billion sorting plant at Malmberget, a key step toward Europe's integrated rare-earth supply chain by 2028.
Sweden elevates rare earth mining to national security, but faster permitting alone won't break China's dominance in separation, metals, and magnet
ICHS 2026 in Belgium spotlights rare earth separation and refining—the true chokepoint in critical mineral supply chains that China dominates at 85–90%.
Sweden's LKAB secured an environmental permit for rare earth extraction, but industrial independence requires far more than regulatory approval.
Critical minerals now define global power as nations compete for supply chain control over materials essential to AI, defense, and clean energy.
Lithuania critical minerals strategy focuses on defense supply chains, not mining. Baltic cooperation may matter more than bilateral U.S. deals.
Europe's heavy rare earth deposits in Sweden, Norway & Greenland could supply 30% of EU demand, reducing dependence on China for critical metals.
Actinide separation from lanthanides is the hidden bottleneck in rare earth refining. Why China's 91% dominance in separation matters for global supply.
Europe's rare earth independence requires more than mines. LKAB's midstream refining strategy matters more than extraction for breaking China dependence.
Sweden's LKAB is relocating Kiruna to access Europe's largest rare earth deposit—2.2M tonnes—but supply chain gaps remain critical.
Sweden's rare earth mining ambitions spark complex negotiations between industrial strategy and Sami Indigenous rights in a pivotal European supply chain devel…
Explore how the US is challenging China's rare earth dominance through innovative policies, startups, and strategic investments in critical minerals processing.
Discover how mine tailings could become a strategic resource for rare earth elements, offering sustainable mining solutions and reducing global supply chain ri…
China's export controls on heavy rare earths expose critical vulnerabilities in Western defense supply chains, sparking urgent efforts to develop alternative H…
Swedish mining company LKAB launches groundbreaking critical minerals facility in Luleå, aiming to boost Europe's mineral self-sufficiency and green transition.
LKAB's innovative industrial park in Luleå aims to transform mining waste into critical minerals, boosting European autonomy and sustainable resource productio…
Swedish mining company LKAB discovers over 1 million tons of rare earth minerals in Kiruna, marking Europe's largest deposit, crucial for renewable tech.
