Decarbonising the Mining Industry: The Case of Dannemora Iron Ore Mine

Sammanfattning: The Swedish mining and minerals sector is one of the most prominent greenhouse gas emitters in the country. At the same time, it also provides Sweden and other nations with vast amounts of important metals and minerals, which are not easily replaced. However, in light of the increasing urgency to reduce global greenhouse gas concentrations, it is imperative that the combustion of fossil fuels is decreased. This quantitative case study uses a document review and interviews to investigate the prerequisites and technical potential for decarbonising the Dannemora iron ore mine in eastern Sweden. Furthermore, a comparative life cycle inventory based on methods from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol is performed in order to calculate potential savings of both energy and greenhouse gases from exchanging conventional underground mining equipment with more sustainable alternatives. Results show that emissions from underground activities in the Dannemora mine could potentially be reduced by up to 90 %, and energy consumption by up to 64 %. It was however also shown that no viable emission-free explosives currently exist that could safely replace conventional alternatives. Further research needs to be conducted in order to investigate the effects of Scope 3 emissions from the production of battery electric mining vehicles, as this would have an effect on overall GHG and energy savings.