Swedish state-owned energy company Vattenfall and mining company Kaunis Iron AB have signed a declaration of intent to develop a fossil-free, electrified mining operation in the north of Sweden.
The mine in Pajala in the north of Sweden has the vision to create the world’s most sustainable iron ore, which demands solutions to reduce the need for fossil fuels. New wind power projects nearby will serve an important role in the change to a sustainable mining operation. Transportation in the mine will need to become electrified, as well as the transportation of the iron ore to other facilities.
Testbed in Kiruna to try new technologies
To meet Sweden’s ambitious climate targets, the mining industry’s shift to become fossil-free is key. The industrial sector stands for about 38 % of Sweden’s CO2 emissions and leads to environmental problems such as pollution to water streams and generating toxic waste.
Last year, major Swedish companies Volvo, LKAB, ABB, Epiroc and Combitech went together in a development project for the iron and steel industry. Together, they will construct a testbed to try new technologies in a real mining setting, as well as a virtual mine in order to test scenarios that cannot be tested in the physical testbed. The project has received funding from the Swedish Energy Agency.
Read more about the Pajala project here.
Read more about the Kiruna project here.
