In June 2018, the Sustainable Underground Mining project (SUM) was initiated bringing together iron ore mining major LKAB with four other players in Swedish industry, the Volvo Group, ABB, Epiroc and Combitech.

The test bed project for an integrated, efficient and carbon-free mining system, has now received new financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency. The support amounts to a sum of SEK 207 million. The total cost of the project is estimated to amount to SEK 1.1 billion

The goal is to implement carbon dioxide-free and autonomous mining in a physical as well as virtual test mine, and then scale up and introduce the mining methods in LKAB’s underground mines in Kiruna and Malmberget.

“In the project, we are driving, amongst other things, a development towards the elimination of diesel-powered mining machines and thus help to achieve carbon-free mining. We will also develop and evaluate management and integration systems that collect data that are then linked together in an efficient ecosystem. With this investment, we are taking one of several important steps to change to a climate-smart industry with people at the centre,” says Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB.

“With our commitment to investing in fossil-free mining, we are driving the transition to a fossil-free value chain in the iron and steel industry. This will in the long run contribute to achieving the Swedish energy and climate goals and long-term competitiveness for Swedish industry. The investment becomes even more important in the current situation when many Swedish companies face major challenges,” says Robert Andrén, Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency.