“Kaunis Iron’s operations have created confidence in the future”

Kaunis Iron in Pajala has been granted permission to continue and expand its operations. The Land and Environmental Court announced its ruling today. “The decision is welcome from a socio-economic perspective,” says Anders Öberg, newly appointed regional councillor (S).

The Land and Environmental Court states that the operation can be permitted according to the company's new adjusted request. This means a maximum annual production of ten million tons of ore. The permit is valid for 35 years and comes with a number of strict conditions to protect plant and animal species, among other things.

The Norrbotten Region has no part in the environmental assessment and has not been a consultation body. However, based on its responsibility for Norrbotten's regional development, the Region has been positive about Kaunis Iron's desire to continue and expand its operations.

– The sustainability goals are not only about the environment but also about economic and social sustainability. We see that Kaunis Iron's operations have created faith in the future in a part of Norrbotten that was previously depopulated and had an increasingly older population. The mine brings jobs, more people of working age and a better tax base, says Anders Öberg in a comment.

In its statement to the court, Region Norrbotten also stated that the mining in Pajala is of importance to Sweden and Europe. In an increasingly uncertain world, the iron ore in Norrbotten – which corresponds to 90 percent of all iron ore produced in Europe – is particularly valuable. Based on geopolitical developments, it is important that Europe can secure its own access to iron ore and other resources, says Region Norrbotten.