Sweden’s Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari is advocating for increased nuclear generation. Credit: Alexandros Michailidis via Shutterstock.

The Swedish Government will investigate the feasibility of lifting its ban on uranium mining, which was first put in place in 2018.

Although Sweden has six nuclear power plants that provide around a third of its electricity, it currently does not produce any of its own uranium due to the ban, relying instead on imported nuclear fuel and enrichment services.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The Ministry of Climate and Enterprise will carry out the investigation and determine changes necessary to enable and clarify the conditions for uranium extraction. It will also analyse whether the government’s admissibility review should be limited to cover uranium mining only when it is for nuclear activity.

The enquiry will be finished by 15 May, when the government will make its final decision on the ban.

Sweden’s Climate Minister, Romina Pourmokhtari, said: “If the European Union is to become the first climate-neutral continent, access to sustainable metals and minerals must be ensured. We need to use the uranium we have, instead of sorting it out and considering it as waste, as is the case now – due to the current ban on mining uranium.”

A quarter of Europe’s known uranium resources are found in Sweden’s bedrock, according to the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise. Resuming production could therefore help Europe become more self-sufficient.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Australia-based Aura Energy has expressed enthusiasm for the government’s announcement as it hopes to extract uranium from its Haggan deposit in Sweden. The deposit contains around 800 million pounds of triuranium octoxide (U₃O₈), and Aura said mining this would increase its revenues by 14%. The company predicts the project will have a net present value of between $456m and $1.3bn.

Andrew Grove, CEO of Aura Energy, said: “Global energy demand continues to rise, and the need for carbon-free, reliable baseload electricity generation means that a renaissance for nuclear power is under way globally. This announcement is a logical step by the Swedish Government towards allowing the extraction of uranium domestically to meet its own and others’ needs.”