The Swedish government said on Wednesday it has given Boliden BOL.ST the green light to proceed with the company’s copper mine project in Laver, northern Sweden.
Project still needs approval from Sweden’s Land and Environment Court.
Extraction of the Laver deposit could double Sweden’s production of copper and increase the EU’s total production by 10%, the government said in a statement.
Project will reduce a dangerous import dependence in Europe, it added.
Located near an old mine, the new mineralisations were discovered by Boliden in 2007. Boliden applied in 2014 for a mining concession but this was initially rejected. The group applied again in 2024.
The Mining Inspectorate had given the go-ahead last year, but the decision was appealed and went to the government for a ruling.
(Reporting by Simon Johnson, writing by Terje Solsvik, editing by Louise Rasmussen)
