Boliden’s Aitik copper mine has been granted a renewed environmental permit by the Swedish Land and Environment Court. The permit covers continued production of up to 45 Mt of ore per year, along with approved methods for dam raising and updated water management practices. The news comes the same day that LKAB announced that its Malmberget iron ore mine has also been granted a permit continued and expanded operations by the same court.
Aitik is one of Europe’s largest copper producers and plays a vital role in supplying the essential metals needed for society’s green transition. Boliden says this decision strengthens its ability to provide the metals for generations to come.
Area Manager Tomas Eriksson Ek stated: “This permit brings clear responsibilities – ones we are ready to meet through safety, environmental responsibility, and continuous improvement. Key highlights of the permit in addition to the operational continuity at 45 Mt/y include approval for enhanced water management and modified dam-raising methods, ensuring a strict focus on safety, stability, and environmental performance; plus secured storage for waste rock and tailings at existing stockpiles.
In 2025, Aitik reported a lower milled volume, year on year, well below its designed capacity. Hard to grind ore containing diorite had a negative impact. Aitik’s mine production (waste rock and ore), on the other hand, reached a new annual record. Increased waste rock production is necessary to increase Aitik’s future milled production. For Q1 2026, recoveries increased versus the same period last year due to less oxidised ore. In summary, production of copper in concentrate was lower than the previous quarter but higher year on year. The production of gold in concentrate was lower than the previous quarter but higher than the first quarter of 2025. Mine production (waste rock and ore) remained at a high level, substantially higher than the first quarter 2025.
Looking ahead, in February 2025, the Swedish Chief Mining Inspector granted a mining concession for the Nautanen copper deposit, close to Aitik. In addition to copper, the mining concession includes molybdenum, silver and gold. The mining concession was appealed but this was rejected in May 2026. An environmental permit is also required before any mining activities can be carried out. “Copper is classified as a strategic raw material and demand is only expected to increase. Nautanen is one of the larger known copper deposits in Sweden. If the deposit can be extracted, it would increase Sweden and the EU’s supply of this strategically important metal,” said Minister for Energy and Enterprise Ebba Busch.
In January 2026, Boliden also said it had applied to the European Commission to designate the Nautanen deposit as a strategic project under the Critical Raw Materials Act. The Nautanen copper deposit is located in central Norrbotten, about 15 km northwest of Aitik copper mine. Earlier studies and exploration results indicate that there is a potential for a underground mine as a satellite to Aitik, where existing industrial infrastructure such as mill and tailings facility can be used. Boliden sees the potential to invest in an underground mine including an entrance ramp to enter the mine from distance to minimise environmental footprint.
The conceptual annual production of extracted raw material in Nautanen is approximately 2-3 Mt per year, with a life of mine plan around 20 years. Feasibility studies of the deposit are still ongoing and will define the final operation. Depending on permits, which are not yet obtained, production is estimated to begin in early 2030s.
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