Beowulf’s Kallak remains under environmental review

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Nordic-focused exploration and development company Beowulf Mining has not taken any shortcuts in the development of its Kallak North magnetite iron-ore project, in Sweden, it said on Monday.

The mine was recently under review by the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden, owing to questions surrounding the concession area of the mine’s licence and its environmental-impact assessment (EIA).

The mining inspectorate then wrote a letter to the county administrative board (CAB) for Norrbotten county, stipulating that the CAB had to provide answers by December 16.

The inspectorate was questioning whether the Kallak North EIA contained the information required under Chapter 6 of the environmental code; whether the information contained within the EIA, for both mining and ancillary activities applied for by the company, met the requirements of Chapters 3 and 4 of the environmental code; and whether the CAB wished to establish conditions for an exploitation concession, if one were granted by the mining inspectorate, for the company.

"Awarding the exploitation concession does not give the company the right to start constructing a mine, but it does give us the opportunity to inject some much-needed momentum back into the project; advance design, engineering and environmental permitting; create jobs, and forge partnerships. Kallak offers the potential to create 250 long-term jobs in the mine, allowing people to live and work in Jokkmokk and be the catalyst for establishing a diverse, thriving and sustainable economy,” CEO Kurt Budge said.

He added that Beowulf had a vision for building a modern and sustainable mining operation at Kallak. This vision included a minimal environmental footprint with no significant impact on Laponia, which covers 940 000 ha, and which, at its closest boundary, is situated about 40 km from Kallak. The company also hoped to establish ways to work with the reindeer herding communities, protecting their way of life and livelihoods, while creating new opportunities for the local community.

The mining inspectorate's letter follows the submission made by the company on September 21, revising its application boundary to encompass both the 103-ha concession area, delineated by the Kallak North orebody, and the activities necessary to support a modern and sustainable mining operation.

Meanwhile, Beowulf has also established a Swedish advisory board to support the development of Beowulf's projects in the country.

The board, consisting of Per Broman and Jan-Olof Hedström, will ensure that the company continues to adopt best practice in the preparation of its permit applications, the requirements of legislation and environmental codes, and in its dealings with the mining inspectorate, the CAB for Norrbotten county and Sweden’s government.

"Per and Jan-Olof bring relevant and significant experience of how mining projects should be developed and permitted in Sweden, given their careers in industry – the CAB and mining inspectorate respectively,” Budge said.