LKAB begins construction of new sorting plant at Malmberget mine
2026-08-28 10:40:43 [Print]
Swedish iron ore producer LKAB has announced that it has commenced foundation work for a new sorting plant at the Malmberget mine in G?llivare, Sweden. The new facility is designed to secure stable production, boost processing capacity, and enable the handling of apatite-rich material for the company's planned phosphorus and rare earth elements production.
The new sorting plant will replace the existing facility, which has been in operation since 1953 and is constrained by its age and limited space. According to LKAB, the new plant will deliver a more robust production process with fewer disruptions and higher iron recovery, while also improving working conditions and operational safety. In the sorting process, crude ore is crushed, screened, and magnetically separated before being sent for beneficiation, after which it is further processed into fines and pellet products.
The new facility will have an annual capacity of 25 million tonnes of crude ore, representing an increase of approximately 7 to 8 million tonnes per year over the existing capacity.
The plant is also being configured to process apatite-rich tailings for future apatite recovery. The recovered material is intended to be used in LKAB's planned phosphorus and rare earth elements production in Lule?.
The facility is scheduled to become operational in 2028 and, with a volume of 620,000 cubic metres, will be one of the largest facilities ever constructed in the company's history.
The new sorting plant will replace the existing facility, which has been in operation since 1953 and is constrained by its age and limited space. According to LKAB, the new plant will deliver a more robust production process with fewer disruptions and higher iron recovery, while also improving working conditions and operational safety. In the sorting process, crude ore is crushed, screened, and magnetically separated before being sent for beneficiation, after which it is further processed into fines and pellet products.
The new facility will have an annual capacity of 25 million tonnes of crude ore, representing an increase of approximately 7 to 8 million tonnes per year over the existing capacity.
The plant is also being configured to process apatite-rich tailings for future apatite recovery. The recovered material is intended to be used in LKAB's planned phosphorus and rare earth elements production in Lule?.
The facility is scheduled to become operational in 2028 and, with a volume of 620,000 cubic metres, will be one of the largest facilities ever constructed in the company's history.
