Laver is a large copper mineralization that also contains gold, silver, and molybdenum. Boliden seeks to conduct operations in the form of an open pit with thickened deposition as waste management. Laver can become a major industrial project with a significant impact on raw material supply, the regional labor market, and society.
The global demand for sustainably produced metals is high. Boliden conducted exploration in the area between 2009-2022. Laver is a large-scale deposit with low grades in the mineralization. Boliden views the project with great interest and intends to implement BAT (best available technology) and high climate and environmental performance in a future project.
Boliden is now undergoing a process to submit a processing concession, which entails the rights to the deposit. If the processing concession is given to Boliden, the company will proceed with the project to establish it. Boliden intends to apply for a processing concession to the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden by the end of September 2024 at the latest.
Background
The Laver mine was operated between 1938-1946, then by Boliden on behalf of the Swedish state. The ore consisted of narrow zones with "high" copper content. The mine was operated both as an open pit and as an underground mine. In the industrial area, the concentrator, warehouse, workshop, laboratory, and office were combined in a single building. A community for employees and their families was built in Laver, where a total of 242 people lived in 1946. The community consisted of about 20 houses, a school, a grocery store, a public organization house, and more. The houses were built with central heating and water, toilets, electric stoves, refrigerators, and a telephone to the village, which was considered a remarkably high standard for the time.
About the Laver project
Boliden is seeking a processing concession for the entire mineralized deposit with an optimization based on the results of a concept study. The project will be able to be implemented with a strong technical performance, including in dam safety and dusting, as well as forward-looking climate and environmental performance. In the project, Boliden places great emphasis on social and community-oriented issues. Boliden's policy is to avoid, minimize, restore, and compensate for remaining damage to the environment and the surrounding area. In the concession application presented by Boliden, we avoid using Lill-Laversjön for industrialization.