Nordic Mines Pilot 'Invisible' Extraction, Kiruna Relocation

Two Nordic mining projects are taking divergent approaches to bolster Europe’s rare-earth security as the EU moves to expand domestic sourcing.

In southern Norway, Rare Earths Norway has identified the Fen Carbonatite Complex with an estimated 8.8 million tonnes of total rare earth oxides, about 1.5 million tonnes of magnet-grade material. The firm plans an "invisible mine": a long diagonal tunnel beneath the village of Ulefoss with backfilled voids to minimize surface disturbance and protect buildings and residents. A prefeasibility study is expected by year‑end, with commercial deliveries targeted in the early 2030s. The company is lobbying for fast-track permits and price guarantees to make the project viable.

In northern Sweden, state-owned LKAB is expanding an iron ore mine that has necessitated one of Europe’s largest urban relocations. The operation prompted the staged move of a 113‑year‑old wooden church roughly 3 km and will affect about 6,000 people and 2,700 homes, at an estimated cost of 22.5 billion SEK. LKAB says the relocation is driven by iron ore extraction, not rare-earth development.

Analysts view both projects as strategically significant for reducing EU dependence on imported rare earths and meeting the bloc’s extraction, processing and recycling goals.