In order to supply highly processed iron ore products to our customers, LKAB has to mine, process and transport the iron ore to the ports for onward transport around the world. This is a process that stipulates demands for a high level of commitment, innovation and responsibility.
LKAB's mines and processing plants are located in Malmfälten, inside the Arctic Circle in the north of Sweden.
Our production operations are located in Kiruna, Malmberget and Svappavaara. Our iron ore products are transported on the Ore Railway and the Ofoten Railway to the ports of Narvik and Luleå for shipment to customers all around the world.
LKAB's ore deposits are mostly extracted from underground mines several hundred metres below the surface, which places demands in terms of both safety and efficiency. All the iron ore that is mined is then processed in our processing plants. There the ore is dressed and concentrated, before finally being pelletised, i.e. heated to form small, round balls. From the processing plants, the iron ore products are transported by rail to the ports.
Since LKAB was founded in 1890, more than one and a half billion tonnes of iron ore have been extracted from the mines of Malmfälten. However, continuing production means that large parts of Kiruna and Malmberget have to be relocated as the work in the underground mines gradually extends. Access to land is decisive for all mining operations, and in LKAB's case this means having access to the land on which large parts of the communities are situated. We therefore need to carry out two urban transformation operations.
The path from mine to finished steel is consequently made up of a number of processes, which in simple terms comprise exploration, urban transformation, mining, processing and finally transportation.