LKAB has announced that it has been granted an environmental permit for the new mine at Gruvberget, India. The ruling by the Environmental Court means that LKAB can move ahead with plans to increase production of finished products by 10 million tonnes per year. LKAB plans to inaugurate the new mine by firing the first blasting round in late May. The new mine will be operated as an open-pit mine and will generate about 30 to 40 new jobs in Svappavaara. The plan is to gradually increase production to at most 2 million tonnes of crude ore per year. The orebody contains bodies of both magnetite and hematite, but only the magnetite will be mined initially. In addition to Gruvberget, LKAB wants to open a new mine in Mertainen, about 15km outside of Svappavaara, and reopen the old open pit at Leveäniemi.
