Swedish government gives green light for copper mine in Laver

Canadian mining company Blue Moon Metals has reached important milestones for its Nussir project. With all permits in place and contracts signed, the target is to start production by the end of 2027, according to a press release.

Norwegian industrial company Momek Services AS has been awarded the contract to build the processing plant at the Nussir mine. The Momek group, which is headquartered in Mo i Rana and employs over 600 people, will be responsible for the design and construction of buildings, equipment foundations and mechanical installations.

“This is fully in line with our plans from the feasibility study in April, and brings us closer to full-scale construction and production,” says Christian Kargl-Simard, CEO of Blue Moon Metals.

Last week, Sweden's honorary consulate in Tromsø, Northern Norway, was reopened with Christian Hjort as the new honorary consul. Hjort has a background as director of the company JM Hansen Eiendom.

"The consulate in Tromsø strengthens Sweden's presence in a region with significant business interests, and helps create good conditions for cross-border cooperation between the countries, while improving service to Swedish citizens in Northern Norway," writes the Swedish embassy in Oslo.

"I look forward to taking on the consular tasks, and not least to helping strengthen the already strong ties between our two countries," states Hjort.

The Swedish mining company LKAB has received an environmental permit from the Land and Environmental Court for its operations in Malmberget, Northern Sweden.

The permit covers both continued and expanded mining and processing activities in Malmberget, as well as measures to reduce impact on air and water. It also includes the establishment of a demonstration plant for fossil-free sponge iron production and a new processing plant for apatite to supply LKAB’s planned industrial park in Luleå with apatite concentrate.

From the apatite concentrate both phosphorus for mineral fertilizers and rare earth elements used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and the defense industry can be extracted.

“The permit is a prerequisite for securing our operations for decades to come. Our ambition is to gradually strengthen our competitiveness by further processing our pellets into fossil-free sponge iron, while also broadening our business with critical minerals. Our mines and the quality of our ore are an asset in the transition towards a sustainable future, and for increasing self-sufficiency in critical raw materials in Sweden and Europe,” says Johan Menckel, President and CEO of LKAB.

Vice Admiral James Morley, Deputy Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), visited Sweden’s Northern Military Region from 7 to 9 June.

During the visit, the JFC Norfolk Deputy Commander gained first-hand insight into the operational environment of the High North - an area of growing strategic importance for the Alliance, a press release states.

The delegation, which also included Major General Stefan Sandborg, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations of the Swedish Armed Forces, visited eastern Norrbotten and the headquarters of the Northern Military Region in Boden.

There, military leaders met with representatives from Sweden’s North Civil Defence Region and Police Region North, highlighting the close cooperation between military and civilian authorities that forms the foundation of Sweden’s total defence concept.

"It has been valuable to see the progress made in integrating Sweden into the Alliance enterprise. Sweden's significant combat power and total defence concept - encapsulated brilliantly in the work at Regional Command North - adds significant capability to the Alliance," said Vice Admiral Morley.

"Sweden's stand-up of Forward Land Forces Finland and the transfer of authority to SACEUR marks another significant milestone and will further enhance NATO's defensive posture on the northern flank," he added.

A new survey from Indikator Opinion for the Swedish Radio channel P4 shows that only 1 in 5 Swedes would consider moving north for work if they were offered 100,000 Swedish kroner (appr. 10,000 USD) in relocation assistance, reports Sveriges Radio.

The survey was conducted among a random sample of Swedes over the age of 18 and 2,044 people responded.

One of the questions was: Would you consider moving to Northern Sweden to work if you were offered a relocation allowance of SEK 100,000?

22 percent answered yes, 40 percent answered no, 13 percent did not know, and for 25 percent the question was not applicable (i.e. do not work/already live in Northern Sweden).

High North News has previously reported that the Swedish government will investigate a relocation allowance to make it easier for the unemployed to move to other parts of the country, including Northern Sweden.

The Swedish government will grant SEK 400,000 to the Nordiska museet foundation for work on returning the museum's collections of Sámi objects to Sápmi.

The museum currently has around 10,000 Sámi objects. It will use the funds to explore the objects' history and origins and clarify the conditions for their return in close collaboration with Ájtte – Swedish Mountain and Sámi Museum in Jokkmokk.

"The return of Sámi objects is a central part of the reconciliation process with the Sámi. At the same time, it is important that this happens through legally secure, transparent and efficient processes. It is therefore urgent that the Nordic Museum is now provided with funds to map the prerequisites for this work, says Sweden's Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand.

In connection with the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Helsingborg, Sweden on Friday, Arctic Allies in NATO issues a Joint Statement on Arctic security.

The Arctic Allies, which consist of Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United States, and the Kingdom of Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, agree to deepen dialogue on security challenges in the Arctic and the High North.

"Recognizing the security challenges and economic opportunities in the Arctic and the High North, the Arctic Allies met to discuss our efforts to build a secure and prosperous region," the statement reads.

"The Arctic is quickly becoming a sphere of increasing geopolitical strategic importance. With Russia´s increased military activity and China´s growing strategic interest, we seek to bolster stability in the Arctic region."

It is furthermore noted that the Arctic Allies are enhancing military presence, surveillance capabilities, and joint training in the region. They furthermore emphasize that they do so in a coordinated and calibrated way.

"We support NATO’s increased presence in the region through activities such as Arctic Sentry, Air Policing in Iceland, and Forward Land Forces Finland, as well as the ongoing strengthening of the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, a new CAOC in Norway and the ongoing modernization of NORAD."

"With new opportunities opening up, and new challenges emerging, close cooperation on Arctic security and economic development among our nations is more important than ever – as Europe and Canada are assuming a greater responsibility for deterrence and defense across the region."

The Arctic countries also recognize the importance of economic and resource development in the Arctic and have tasked experts to coordinate more closely on these issues, including research security, investment screening, and critical infrastructure modernization and protection.

"We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our common goal of a secure, prosperous, and peaceful Arctic," the statement concludes.

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority (ESA) has initiated infringement proceedings against Norway over the permits for mining dumping in Førdefjorden and Repparfjorden. The announcement comes four days before the case regarding the permit for mining dumping in Førdefjorden is heard in the Supreme Court on 27 April.

This is apparent from a letter from ESA to the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment on 23 April. The letter is a so-called "formal notice" under the EEA Agreement. This is the first step in ESA's infringement proceedings against EEA/EFTA states – equivalent to what the European Commission calls a "letter of formal notice" in EU law.

"This further strengths our case and shows that we have been right all along. The permits for dumping mining waste in Førdefjorden and Repparfjorden are invalid. It should now be obvious to everyone that the dumping that is currently taking place in the Førdefjord is illegal and must be stopped", says Truls Gulowsen, leader of the Norwegian Nature Conservation Association, in a press release.

Thirteen conscripts suffered frostbite during an exercise in Norrbotten, Northern Sweden, in February after the heater in their tent stopped working, according to SVT.

The number of people affected by frostbite in the Swedish defense sector has increased significantly this winter.

During the first two months of the year, 134 cases of frostbite were reported. In comparison, 47 cases of frostbite were reported in all of 2025.