How can Swedish industry recover more critical raw materials from by-products in smelters and mines

Purpose and goal

This project focuses on by-products in the Swedish/Nordic process industry. The aim is to investigate how more critical raw materials can be extracted as by-products. The project is an initial study to summarize the current situation in the area of by-products in Sweden/Nordics. Which ones are produced? What potential is there in ores produced today? How can the process steps be developed to extract more by-products? The goal is to make an overview with answers to fundamental questions.

Expected effects and result

The report will include information on smelters and by-products. The EU has decided that production of critical raw materials should increase within a relatively short time horizon. The fastest way to increase production of certain critical raw materials is to recover by-product metals from existing smelters, as opposed to starting new mines. The question is how this can be done in a cost-effective manner and where targeted efforts are needed, something that this report aims to answer.

Planned approach and implementation

The proposed study will be a collaboration between RMG Consulting and Boliden and LTU where there is good expertise in the area. The report will be carried out as an interview study. A number of interviews with industry experts form the basis for the report. There will be approximately 10 interviews with people in the Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish smelting industry which will form the basis for the report.