While mining for iron ore, a Swedish company came across the largest deposit of rare earth elements ever found in Europe. It could offer a huge boost to the continent’s green sector in the future but will likely have serious repercussions for the nation’s Ingenious communities.
When Swedish iron ore miners from LKAB went to work last month, they might have thought they had just another series of ordinary weeks ahead.
But they would soon find this was not the case. It was announced in January that the company had discovered Europe’s largest deposit of rare earth elements located right next to one of its key sites in Kiruna.
It was an unexpected finding during the iron ore mining project in Arctic Sweden, which uncovered a store of more than 1 million tons of rare earth oxides such as praseodymium or neodymium oxides.
This is exciting news, as these materials are used to make wind turbines and essential magnets for electric cars. Rare earth oxides also make up key components of electronic devices, microphones, and audio speakers.
As nations continue to expand green projects locally and across continents, these newly discovered deposits could offer a boost in the transition to clean energy for all of Europe.
However, for Sweden’s Sámi communities who are already negatively impacted by the Kiruna iron ore mine, new mining activity could further exacerbate already existing disruptions to their traditional migration routes.
Sámi people can be found in Sweden and elsewhere across Europe, including Finland, Norway, and Russia.
Like most Indigenous communities, their language and culture are inextricably intertwined with the land they live upon. The Sámi rely upon wild reindeer herds, which guide their migration routes as they graze and hunt for food in the Arctic.
In August, the reindeer begin to travel east from the mountain ranges on the Norwegian border. For hundreds of years – well before Sweden was known to the world as Sweden – the Sámi people have followed the signal of the reindeer to travel across one side of Kiruna to the other.
But during the last century, a modern Swedish town has been built close to Indigenous lands. Not long after, an iron ore mine was built, leaving Sweden’s Sámi community with minimal land. It now measures only a few kilometres wide.
With railway and road infrastructure for the mining industry cutting through Indigenous lands and trails, the reindeer and the Sami now have limited space to migrate through.
Pollution from the mining industry has also spilt over into lakes, making fishing impossible for the Sámi community. The fear is that new mining projects focused on extracting rare earth deposits will further threaten the livelihoods of Indigenous heritage.
In the eyes of the Sámi, Swedish mining companies will be difficult to go up against if the prospect of bolstering Europe’s green transition is postured in a convincing way for policy decision-makers.
For-profit green agenda?
At present, many countries are reliant on international trade and imports to obtain rare earth minerals. China in particular has a huge monopoly on the sector, thanks to abundant stores of these types of elements in its environment.
The demand for these minerals is extremely high, and at least 98 percent of the EUs supply of rare earth magnets for electronics and electric car production is sourced from China’s supply.
On that note, the deposit found by LKAB in Arctic Sweden is relatively small compared to element deposits in other areas of the world. According to the US Geological Survey, it represents less than one percent of the 120 million tons found elsewhere.
Experts warn that although it’s an exciting discovery, we shouldn’t expect an immediate or rapid increase in green energy sectors in Europe. Mining companies are not expected to start extracting these earth minerals straight away.
They also note that exploration of the Swedish site will more than likely begin years from now, even in the case that permits to do so are approved quickly. Providing a timeline, representatives at LKAB estimate it would take around 10 to 15 years before the materials hit the market.
While the deposit could allow European nations to be more self-reliant in the future – Sweden’s leaders will now have to grapple with a moral decision that affects one of its oldest civilisations.
Projects which negatively affect the environment are increasingly receiving public pressure to consult Indigenous communities first. Let’s hope Sweden does the same, instead of allowing mining companies to exploit Europe’s desire for a homegrown green transition for its own gain.
Deputy Editor & Content Partnership ManagerLondon, UK
I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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