MND Pushes Central Europe Toward a Geothermal Future with Landmark Košice Project Central Europe has just witnessed a major geothermal breakthrough. Czech energy and drilling giant MND has officially completed the drilling phase of one of the largest geothermal heating projects in Central Europe, marking a decisive moment not only for Slovakia’s energy future, but also for the wider European geothermal sector. Located in the city of Košice, Slovakia’s second-largest city, the ambitious geothermal development demonstrates how deep geothermal energy is rapidly transforming from a niche renewable resource into a strategic pillar of urban energy security, district heating, and industrial decarbonization. The announcement by MND revealed that three deep geothermal boreholes were successfully drilled to depths of up to 3.6 kilometers under difficult geological conditions. Once fully operational, the geothermal system could cover as much as 55% of Košice’s heat consumption — an extraordina...
LKAB owns and run the Kiruna ore mine, which is Europe’s largest underground iron ore operation. (Image courtesy of LKAB.)
LKAB, Swedish state-owned mining company, said it had found Europe’s largest known deposit of rare earths close to Kiruna, the country’s northernmost town.
This discovery might unchain the continents dependence in mining from the China.
98% of the group of 17 minerals used in electric vehicles (EVs), portable electronics, wind turbines and military equipment are produced by the nation.
According to LKAB, the Per Geijer deposit, north of the company’s largest iron ore mine in the Swedish Arctic, is estimated to contain more than 1 million tonnes of rare earths.
Developments still in exploratory phase with the full extent of the deposit is not known.
“It will be at least 10 to 15 years before we can actually begin mining and deliver raw materials to the market,” chief executive officer Jan Mostrom said in the statement, citing a timeline derived from other permitting processes in the industry.
LKAB plans an application for an exploration concession this year, before seeking permits.
Mostrom called on the European Commission to speed up and streamline those processes as part of its Critical Raw Materials Act, which is expected to be announced in March this year.
Sweden plays a pivotal role in the European Union’s renewable energy quest, supplying about 90% of the continent’s iron ore. Most of the steelmaking commodity is mined at LKAB’s operations.
Source: Mining.com
#Sweden #Renewableenergy #RareEarths #Europe
Comments
Post a Comment