Sweden, home of TLGs graphite mine(s)

Environmental law expert: First time the government has issued an order to a municipality since the law came into effect​

Updated yesterday 15:20Published yesterday 15:05
In Sweden, municipal autonomy is strong. But environmental law expert Maria Petterson at LTU does not rule out that we may see more planning orders from the government.
– This door has been opened and the first step has been taken.
Yesterday, it was announced that the government is instructing Kiruna Municipality to adopt a detailed plan to enable Talga's plans for a graphite mine outside Kiruna.
– This is the first time the government has made this decision at least since the Planning and Building Act came into force in 1987, says Maria Pettersson, professor of environmental law at Luleå University of Technology.*

Has Kiruna Municipality acted incorrectly in any way in this?

– No, you can't say that. The municipality has chosen not to adopt a detailed plan and that is their right within the framework of the Planning and Building Act.

She believes that the conflict arose because Talga had already received an environmental permit and such permits may not be granted in violation of the Planning and Building Act.

Previously, there was also a requirement for a detailed plan for the expansion of wind power. This was largely removed in 2009.

– Then the municipality could, by being passive and by not adopting a detailed plan, counteract wind power expansion, says Maria Pettersson.

Increased demand for metals and minerals​

Nunasvaara, where Talga is allowed to open a graphite mine, is classified as being of national interest . This has had a decisive impact on the course of events, says the professor of environmental law. She does not rule out that there will be more injunctions from the government.

– If it were to happen that municipalities would choose this method to a greater extent to counteract projects, it is of course possible that the government would once again choose to submit a plan.





@beserk Maybe something for you to listen to:

_______________________________
*
This is directly addressed to you Mr. Taaveniku (S). See what your blackmail and politics has led to. Negotiating would have been better, then you would have a deal by now. In my view, you have misled your voters and achieved less in the end. And then all these years of acting and misleading, pretending to be for it and then in reality covertly fighting against it. You are not morally decent or credible. I wouldn't vote for you. So ambiguous.
Please excuse me. I'm swearing a lot today, as well as in the bar. Maybe it just needs to come out. And I don't know anyone other than you who could understand that.

cosors said:

View attachment 76701

Environmental law expert: First time the government has issued an order to a municipality since the law came into effect​

Updated yesterday 15:20Published yesterday 15:05
In Sweden, municipal autonomy is strong. But environmental law expert Maria Petterson at LTU does not rule out that we may see more planning orders from the government.
– This door has been opened and the first step has been taken.
Yesterday, it was announced that the government is instructing Kiruna Municipality to adopt a detailed plan to enable Talga's plans for a graphite mine outside Kiruna.
– This is the first time the government has made this decision at least since the Planning and Building Act came into force in 1987, says Maria Pettersson, professor of environmental law at Luleå University of Technology.*

Has Kiruna Municipality acted incorrectly in any way in this?

– No, you can't say that. The municipality has chosen not to adopt a detailed plan and that is their right within the framework of the Planning and Building Act.

She believes that the conflict arose because Talga had already received an environmental permit and such permits may not be granted in violation of the Planning and Building Act.

Previously, there was also a requirement for a detailed plan for the expansion of wind power. This was largely removed in 2009.

– Then the municipality could, by being passive and by not adopting a detailed plan, counteract wind power expansion, says Maria Pettersson.

Increased demand for metals and minerals​

Nunasvaara, where Talga is allowed to open a graphite mine, is classified as being of national interest . This has had a decisive impact on the course of events, says the professor of environmental law. She does not rule out that there will be more injunctions from the government.

– If it were to happen that municipalities would choose this method to a greater extent to counteract projects, it is of course possible that the government would once again choose to submit a plan.

View attachment 76702

View attachment 76703

@beserk Maybe something for you to listen to:

Miljörättsexperten: Första gången regeringen förelägger en kommun sedan lagen kom

I Sverige är det kommunala självstyret starkt. Men miljörättsexperten Maria Petterson vid LTU utesluter inte att vi kan komma att se mer av planförelägganden från regeringen. – Man har öppnat den här dörren och därigenom tagit det första steget.

www.svt.se

_______________________________
*
This is directly addressed to you Mr. Taaveniku (S). See what your blackmail and politics has led to. Negotiating would have been better, then you would have a deal by now. In my view, you have misled your voters and achieved less in the end. And then all these years of acting and misleading, pretending to be for it and then in reality covertly fighting against it. You are not morally decent or credible. I wouldn't vote for you. So ambiguous.
Please excuse me. I'm swearing a lot today, as well as in the bar. Maybe it just needs to come out. And I don't know anyone other than you who could understand that.

Click to expand...

Agree, the government is using its bulldozer to clear a path for Talga.
It's of National interest to Sweden to develop its minerals. Its also of course in the EU interests.
Minerals even getting the US wanting to make Greenland its 52? State.
Seems like with minerals its either use it or risk losing it. Seems the Swedish government is on to that.

Just a snippet. The Lulea industrial estate will continue in February:
"Nyab Infra receives subcontract for infrastructure. Construction to start in February 2025."

EN will speak at a trade fair on 01/02/2025.

"12.30 Panel
"What does the world situation mean for the competitiveness of mining and steel companies?"
Christina Friborg Båge, SSAB,
Moderator Göran Björkman, CEO Alleima
Eva Nordmark, Chairman Talga
Kristoffer Hessedahl, VP Strategy,
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions"

WALLENIUS SOL is an innovative shipping company with its sights set on a sustainable future
WALLENIUS SOL operates regular scheduled services between a large number of ports in northern Finland and Sweden, Germany, the Benelux region and the United Kingdom.

Lulea​

"LKAB's new plant will increase Europe's self-sufficiency in critical raw materials​

Published today 16:17
The EU will become much less dependent on imports of critical raw materials. That is why the construction of LKAB's demo plant that will extract this is so important, says Minister for Energy and Enterprise Ebba Busch (KD), who visited the construction site on Tuesday.
The plant is the first of its kind in Europe.
"We must start seeing self-sufficiency as a necessity," says Minister for Energy and Enterprise Ebba Busch (KD).
Today, the EU is completely dependent on imports from China, and they want to change that. In May 2024, an EU regulation was also adopted to make Europe less vulnerable.
"The effects on energy issues after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine will appear as a balmy summer evening in comparison to the effects on critical raw materials and metals if we do not secure our self-sufficiency," Busch says.

Powder is shipped to Luleå​

Mining waste from Malmberget, among other places, contains rare earth metals that will now be extracted.
"If we are talking about this particular plant in Luleå, it will fully meet 20 percent of Europe's current needs," says Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB.
The waste containing phosphorus and rare earth elements (REEs) will come in powder form to the plant in Luleå, where REEs, phosphorus for mineral fertilizers and gypsum for the construction industry will be extracted.
The Per Geijer deposit in Kiruna also maintains high levels of the substances in demand.

Expected to be completed next year​

LKAB's demo plant is planned to be operational in 2026 and the company is investing SEK 800 million in the project.
The purpose of the demo plant is to further develop and verify the process for using material flows from the iron ore production in Gällivare, where apatite concentrate is produced for further processing and production of phosphorus and rare earth metals in Luleå.
Through a phased expansion, the business can then be expanded with more processing plants over time, to be fully operational in the 2030s.
"Through LKAB's investment in critical minerals, we are positioning ourselves as a leading region in the green transition. The journey starts in the mine in Gällivare," says Birgitta Larsson (S), chairman of the municipal executive board in Gällivare municipality.

Rare earth elements​

Rare earth elements (LREE and HREE) are used, among other things, for magnets in electric motors and generators, catalytic converters, batteries, and glass and ceramics. No production is currently taking place in the EU.
Rare earth elements are a group of elements, so-called transitional metals, which include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, tulium, ytterbium and lutetium.
In some contexts, the elements scandium and yttrium are also considered rare earth elements.
Source: SGU "

LKAB:s nya anläggning ska öka Europas självförsörjning av kritiska råmaterial

EU ska bli mycket mindre beroende av import av kritiska råmaterial. Det är därför bygget av LKAB:s demoanläggning som ska utvinna just detta är så viktig, menar energi- och näringsminister Ebba Busch (KD) som under tisdagen besökte bygget.

www.svt.se

summarized

"Ebba Busch (KD) on Kiruna's statement: “Serious statement”

Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Ebba Busch (KD) hits back at Kiruna's municipal councillor Mats Taaveniku (S), after the statement that the government sees the municipality as a colony. She says she sees it as a serious accusation."



"The latest in a series of mining issues that have landed on the government's table is that of a graphite mine in Kiruna. The government is effectively forcing the municipality to approve a detailed plan for the mining area. Something that Kiruna municipal councilor Mats Taaveniku (S) has been critical of.

- “We are seen as a colony where they just take resources without giving anything back,” he told DN.

Ebba Busch does not recognize herself in the description:
- “It is a very serious statement and it has no bearing on reality. We have legislation in Sweden that requires municipalities to develop detailed plans, that legislation is not freely chosen work.

Is support needed for Kiruna?

- Of course, in far too many cases we have left the locals to their own devices with heavy and large investments. There are many ways to reduce risk that don't just involve more money.

There is no concrete answer to what exactly this support would entail, but she refers to, for example, the government's “strategy for northern Sweden”, in which they have identified seven target areas that the government considers particularly important for development in the north.

- “We need to see how we can support the local areas that are getting new large, heavy business establishments with the welfare side, because these two factors are linked,” says Ebba Busch."

"Strikes back: ‘The best for Kiruna, Sweden and Europe’​

- This is the best thing for Kiruna, Sweden and Europe, she tells SVT Nyheter Norrbotten."

Mined in Sweden

"...
About us
Sweden's mining industry stands proudly at the forefront as one of the world's most climate-efficient, ready to lead the world into a fossil-free future. With the Mined in Sweden initiative, we want to highlight the opportunities and progress that a strong and sustainable mining industry can bring. Behind the initiative are – Boliden, LKAB, Zinkgruvan Mining, Heidelberg Materials, Talga, ABB, Epiroc, Sandvik and Svemin – who continue to mine the metals and minerals that you shape with life tomorrow. Want to go deeper? Read more at the industry organization Svemin:Frequently asked questions and answers."

"Expert on the government's decision to run over Kiruna: “Unique”​

The government has support in the Planning and Building Act for its decision to force Kiruna municipality to develop a detailed plan for a new mine, says expert Jesper Blomberg. But he was stunned when the announcement came. “It should never happen,” he tells Altinget.


The government has repeatedly pointed out the importance of increasing mineral extraction in Sweden. This included in connection with the start of the EU Presidency in spring 2023.

Unique and extremely unusual is how Jesper Blomberg, lawyer and expert on the Planning and Building Act, describes the government's decision to overrule Kiruna municipality in the matter of a new graphite mine that the company Talga wants to build in the municipality.

- “It's an exceptional case and extremely unusual, it should never happen. That's why, as a practitioner, you cringe a little when a planning injunction like this actually comes,' he tells Altinget.

It was just over a week ago that the government decided to order the municipality of Kiruna to adopt a detailed plan to enable the new mine. The government believes that the graphite that Talga wants to mine is of national interest and that there is therefore reason to require the municipality to enable the construction of the mine.

“It's an exceptional case and extremely unusual, it should never happen. That's why you as a practitioner have to be a little careful..Jesper Blomberg Lawyer specializing in the Planning and Building Act

- “This is the best thing for Kiruna, Sweden and Europe,” Minister of Energy and Industry Ebba Busch (KD) told SVT Norrbotten regarding the decision.

At the beginning of last year, Kiruna municipality suspended work on the detailed plan for the mine, partly because it believes that the company is not prepared to do enough for the town, such as building housing to counteract a “fly in fly out” effect. Talga, for its part, has gone to the government for help, which it has now received.

The planning injunction decided by the government states that the Swedish Geological Survey (SGI) has found that the minerals found in the ground mean that the area should be seen as a national interest.

But the County Administrative Board notes in its assessment that even if there is a national interest, there is no support for the government to force the municipality to make a detailed plan.

“According to the preparatory works to the Natural Resources Act, significant damage to the national interest's valuable substances or materials can refer to measures that significantly impede extraction. The County Administrative Board does not find support in the preparatory works that a “failure” to adopt a detailed plan would constitute such a measure,” writes the County Administrative Board.

“There is room in the law”​

Jesper Blomberg, who was previously an investigator for the Building Permit Inquiry and is now a partner at the law firm Delphi, believes that if you look at what the legal text actually says when it comes to the possibilities of forcing the municipality to proceed with the mining plans, the government is right in its interpretation.

- “I think the legal text definitely allows for this,” he says.

He continues:

- “Just as if you think that a municipality should not adopt a detailed plan to protect nature, you should be able to force a municipality to adopt a detailed plan to actually enable this national interest with a planning injunction.

- Then, of course, one can discuss whether the government has been right in its assessment and I can't really comment on that.

The rule that gives the government the right to trump the municipal power over the land was introduced in 1987 when the municipal planning monopoly was introduced and a major shift of power took place from the state to the municipalities.

- It is almost sacred in the Planning and Building Act that it is actually our municipalities that decide on land and water areas. But then they wanted a small safety valve and so they created this possibility called a planning injunction.

It has not been used​

Since then, however, it has not been used. Mainly because it has not been needed, says Jesper Blomberg. “Over the years, it has been enough for the government, usually through the county administrative board, which is the government's extended arm, to 'threaten' to issue a planning injunction for the municipalities to comply,” he says.

- “This provision in the Planning and Building Act is intended to guide action. The fact that the government has this option means that the municipalities are expected to comply. But here it has been turned on its head.

They will still have to pay, even if they leave it to the County Administrative Board. Jesper Blomberg Lawyer specializing in the Planning and Building Act

At the end of last week, Kiruna municipality announced that it does not want to draw up the detailed plan but will leave it to the County Administrative Board. Something that the municipality can absolutely do. But the cost of the detailed plan will not escape them, according to Jesper Blomberg.

- “They will still have to pay, even if they leave it to the County Administrative Board,” he says.

Since the decision concerns a municipality and not an individual, there is no possibility for the municipality to appeal the government's decision.

“We are the ones who will look at what it looks like, which areas are suitable for what. We have to produce master plans and the Planning and Building Act is our prevailing law. So it's difficult for someone to just come and drive over. Birgitta Larsson (S) Chairman of Gällivare Municipal Board

- I find it difficult to see that the government's decision can be attacked in any way.

Jesper Blomberg does not believe that the events in Kiruna are the start of a new trend in which the government is increasingly issuing planning injunctions and running over municipalities.

This is partly because the situation in Kiruna, where the municipality has changed its mind during the process, is special, and partly because the law states that the possibility of a planning injunction should be used sparingly.

- I think it will continue to be very unusual.

This is what the neighboring municipality thinks​

Birgitta Larsson (S), municipal councilor in the neighboring municipality of Gällivare, which also has several mining deposits, also hopes that the decision is a one-off event.

- “You might think that it's strange when the municipality has a mandate under the Planning and Building Act. We're the ones who have to look at what it looks like, which areas are suitable for what. We have to draw up master plans and the Planning and Building Act is our prevailing law. So it's difficult for someone to just come and drive over,' Birgitta Larsson tells Altinget.



Birgitta Larsson (S) Gällivare municipality

Roland Sjögren (KD), chairman of the municipal board in the mining municipality of Lycksele, says that he is not particularly worried that planning injunctions will become more common.

- “If you imagine that the government will now start granting everything, I'm not worried about it. I don't interpret it that way,' he tells Altinget.

He has some understanding for his party colleague Ebba Busch (KD) and the government.

- 'Basically, I defend municipal autonomy in these matters. I think it should be protected as far as possible, but I also understand that in some cases you may still have to take a decision at a higher level to move forward,” he says."

Not even the Christian Democrats KD of Kiruna are concerned about the matter at hand and only care about the next election.

"KD politician in Kiruna angry at Busch: ‘Is poorest despite the mines’​

Published yesterday 15:35

Minister of Industry Ebba Busch (KD) highlighted statement on mining investments in Vittangi also annoys her party friends in Kiruna.

- Her statement is offensive to many Kiruna residents, says Krister Pounu, local representative of the party.

It is Ebba Busch's statements that the mine is for the good of Kiruna residents and that Kiruna municipality has obstructed the detailed plan for the graphite mine in Vittangi that have upset both local politicians and Kiruna residents.

‘Mines are not the best thing’​

Krister Pounu, group leader of the Christian Democrats in Kiruna, has now contacted his party colleague Ebba Busch and wants to explain to her why the people of Kiruna are upset and find her statement directly offensive.

- ‘I have told her that Kiruna is one of the poorest municipalities in Sweden despite having mines, so the best thing is not new mines but that the money stays here.

Concerns about the next election​

The Christian Democrats are in opposition and Kiruna's second largest party together with the Moderates, and now Krister Pounu fears that Busch's statements could affect the next election.

- ‘I could say that I get a lot of critical questions,’ says Krister Pounu."

cosors said:

"Expert on the government's decision to run over Kiruna: “Unique”​

The government has support in the Planning and Building Act for its decision to force Kiruna municipality to develop a detailed plan for a new mine, says expert Jesper Blomberg. But he was stunned when the announcement came. “It should never happen,” he tells Altinget.

View attachment 77200
The government has repeatedly pointed out the importance of increasing mineral extraction in Sweden. This included in connection with the start of the EU Presidency in spring 2023.

Unique and extremely unusual is how Jesper Blomberg, lawyer and expert on the Planning and Building Act, describes the government's decision to overrule Kiruna municipality in the matter of a new graphite mine that the company Talga wants to build in the municipality.

- “It's an exceptional case and extremely unusual, it should never happen. That's why, as a practitioner, you cringe a little when a planning injunction like this actually comes,' he tells Altinget.

It was just over a week ago that the government decided to order the municipality of Kiruna to adopt a detailed plan to enable the new mine. The government believes that the graphite that Talga wants to mine is of national interest and that there is therefore reason to require the municipality to enable the construction of the mine.

“It's an exceptional case and extremely unusual, it should never happen. That's why you as a practitioner have to be a little careful..Jesper Blomberg Lawyer specializing in the Planning and Building Act

- “This is the best thing for Kiruna, Sweden and Europe,” Minister of Energy and Industry Ebba Busch (KD) told SVT Norrbotten regarding the decision.

At the beginning of last year, Kiruna municipality suspended work on the detailed plan for the mine, partly because it believes that the company is not prepared to do enough for the town, such as building housing to counteract a “fly in fly out” effect. Talga, for its part, has gone to the government for help, which it has now received.

The planning injunction decided by the government states that the Swedish Geological Survey (SGI) has found that the minerals found in the ground mean that the area should be seen as a national interest.

But the County Administrative Board notes in its assessment that even if there is a national interest, there is no support for the government to force the municipality to make a detailed plan.

“According to the preparatory works to the Natural Resources Act, significant damage to the national interest's valuable substances or materials can refer to measures that significantly impede extraction. The County Administrative Board does not find support in the preparatory works that a “failure” to adopt a detailed plan would constitute such a measure,” writes the County Administrative Board.

“There is room in the law”​

Jesper Blomberg, who was previously an investigator for the Building Permit Inquiry and is now a partner at the law firm Delphi, believes that if you look at what the legal text actually says when it comes to the possibilities of forcing the municipality to proceed with the mining plans, the government is right in its interpretation.

- “I think the legal text definitely allows for this,” he says.

He continues:

- “Just as if you think that a municipality should not adopt a detailed plan to protect nature, you should be able to force a municipality to adopt a detailed plan to actually enable this national interest with a planning injunction.

- Then, of course, one can discuss whether the government has been right in its assessment and I can't really comment on that.

The rule that gives the government the right to trump the municipal power over the land was introduced in 1987 when the municipal planning monopoly was introduced and a major shift of power took place from the state to the municipalities.

- It is almost sacred in the Planning and Building Act that it is actually our municipalities that decide on land and water areas. But then they wanted a small safety valve and so they created this possibility called a planning injunction.

It has not been used​

Since then, however, it has not been used. Mainly because it has not been needed, says Jesper Blomberg. “Over the years, it has been enough for the government, usually through the county administrative board, which is the government's extended arm, to 'threaten' to issue a planning injunction for the municipalities to comply,” he says.

- “This provision in the Planning and Building Act is intended to guide action. The fact that the government has this option means that the municipalities are expected to comply. But here it has been turned on its head.

They will still have to pay, even if they leave it to the County Administrative Board. Jesper Blomberg Lawyer specializing in the Planning and Building Act

At the end of last week, Kiruna municipality announced that it does not want to draw up the detailed plan but will leave it to the County Administrative Board. Something that the municipality can absolutely do. But the cost of the detailed plan will not escape them, according to Jesper Blomberg.

- “They will still have to pay, even if they leave it to the County Administrative Board,” he says.

Since the decision concerns a municipality and not an individual, there is no possibility for the municipality to appeal the government's decision.

“We are the ones who will look at what it looks like, which areas are suitable for what. We have to produce master plans and the Planning and Building Act is our prevailing law. So it's difficult for someone to just come and drive over. Birgitta Larsson (S) Chairman of Gällivare Municipal Board

- I find it difficult to see that the government's decision can be attacked in any way.

Jesper Blomberg does not believe that the events in Kiruna are the start of a new trend in which the government is increasingly issuing planning injunctions and running over municipalities.

This is partly because the situation in Kiruna, where the municipality has changed its mind during the process, is special, and partly because the law states that the possibility of a planning injunction should be used sparingly.

- I think it will continue to be very unusual.

This is what the neighboring municipality thinks​

Birgitta Larsson (S), municipal councilor in the neighboring municipality of Gällivare, which also has several mining deposits, also hopes that the decision is a one-off event.

- “You might think that it's strange when the municipality has a mandate under the Planning and Building Act. We're the ones who have to look at what it looks like, which areas are suitable for what. We have to draw up master plans and the Planning and Building Act is our prevailing law. So it's difficult for someone to just come and drive over,' Birgitta Larsson tells Altinget.


View attachment 77199
Birgitta Larsson (S) Gällivare municipality

Roland Sjögren (KD), chairman of the municipal board in the mining municipality of Lycksele, says that he is not particularly worried that planning injunctions will become more common.

- “If you imagine that the government will now start granting everything, I'm not worried about it. I don't interpret it that way,' he tells Altinget.

He has some understanding for his party colleague Ebba Busch (KD) and the government.

- 'Basically, I defend municipal autonomy in these matters. I think it should be protected as far as possible, but I also understand that in some cases you may still have to take a decision at a higher level to move forward,” he says."

Experten om regeringens beslut att köra över Kiruna: ”Unikt” - Altinget.se

Regeringen har stöd i Plan- och bygglagen för beslutet att tvinga Kiruna kommun att ta fram en detaljplan för en ny gruva, menar experten Jesper Blomberg. Men han hajade till ordentlig när beskedet kom. ”Det brukar aldrig behöva hända”, säger han till Altinget.

www.altinget.se

Click to expand...

"Since the decision concerns a municipality and not an individual, there is no possibility for the municipality to appeal the government's decision."

Thanks cosors,

That's the most important part of the whole article. For once, they cannot appeal.

The election campaign is in full swing here.
This article was reproduced in one of the major newspapers here (s. b.).
Habeck is still the incumbent Minister of Economic Affairs.
I am posting the article because of some details.

5 February 2025

"Inside Northvolt: Chaos at the battery manufacturer, where Habeck has invested 600 million​

If the Minister for Economic Affairs had taken a closer look at who he was entrusting with millions, a more nuanced picture would have emerged. Northvolt's delivery and quality problems have been known for some time. And VW, of all companies, has been writing off its stake in Northvolt for years.

Could he have known? That is the question that the Green Party's candidate for chancellor, Robert Habeck, has to grapple with when asked why the federal budget committee in October 2023 still assumed liability for a 600 million euro convertible bond that the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt was to receive from the state-owned KfW bank. Northvolt is building a battery factory in Heide, Schleswig-Holstein, and the money was intended to secure this investment. However, it is now far from certain whether the factory will ever be built.

The case is explosive because Northvolt filed for restructuring proceedings under US bankruptcy law in the Bankruptcy Court in Houston, Texas in December 2024. In response, the KfW demanded the return of its 600 million euros from the federal government and the state of Schleswig-Holstein. And Habeck had to justify himself to the Bundestag's budget committee last week.

The proceedings have been further inflamed because Habeck had an expert opinion, on the basis of which the funding had been approved, classified as ‘secret’. Since then, members of parliament have only been able to view it with a special permit – which has driven some of them to distraction: FDP deputy Wolfgang Kubicki complained that the retrospective classification as secret was ‘not legally permissible’. The ministry rejects this and cites ‘Northvolt's business and trade secrets’, which must remain under lock and key, as justification. A spokesperson assures that the report by the auditing firm PwC certifies ‘good prospects for the repayment of the convertible bond’.

So, despite such an apparently rosy report, could Habeck have known that the decision to hedge the convertible bond would be tricky? If you look for clues, you will stumble upon a few inconsistencies that cast Northvolt in a less than rosy light early on. The most interesting development should not have escaped Habeck's attention: the VW Group, which is partly state-owned, has been the largest shareholder in Northvolt since 2019. Volkswagen initially invested $900 million in the battery manufacturer, which at the time was more of a startup. In a second round of financing in 2021, the Wolfsburg-based company injected a further $620 million. With the almost $1.5 billion paid in this way, VW kept its stake constant at around 20 per cent and had a seat on the supervisory board.

The carmaker, in which the state of Lower Saxony has a stake, was therefore well aware of the true situation at Northvolt. And just a few months after the new financing round, the situation was apparently anything but rosy. In any case, VW's 2022 annual report puts its stake in Northvolt at just 900 million euros; in the following year – that is, when the federal government assumed liability for the KfW's commitment – VW had already written down its stake to 693 million euros, or about half of its original value. It seems that hopes were not fulfilled early on. A VW spokesperson did not comment on how high the group estimates the current value. Another investor, the asset manager Blackrock, has already announced that it has written off its Northvolt stake to zero.

The plummeting value of VW's stake in Northvolt could have been a clue that might have made Habeck suspicious if he had seen it. A visit to Northvolt in Sweden might also have opened the eyes of the German investors. However, this was not done by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, but by the British financial newspaper Financial Times, and only when the difficulties at Northvolt escalated at the end of last year. What the reporters found, however, were grievances that the Swedes had been struggling with for years. The report from the start-up, which was founded in 2017 by two former Tesla managers and now employs 7,000 people, reads like a log from a madhouse.

Ten former and current employees told the newspaper about the chaos at the site. ‘Making batteries is difficult, really difficult. We tried to do almost everything at once,’ said a former senior employee. ‘And the problems just piled up. I don't know if they can make it now.’ ‘The Chinese are so fast,‘ adds a former chemical engineer at Northvolt. “They are established and have already done it, they are simply better. We're late to the party.’

Northvolt therefore hired top battery manufacturing talent from Japan and South Korea. ”They live in a separate camp and come here every day to install and operate the machines,’ the Northvolt employees say. However, they stayed longer than originally expected. Communication was difficult. An employee reports on an incident at the company in which the alarm was triggered: ‘We didn't understand it,’ so it was only a Chinese employee who used Google Translate to communicate that everyone had to leave the plant immediately. Since 2021, Northvolt has been involved in 47 industrial accidents involving chemicals classified as ‘particularly hazardous’ by the Swedish Work Environment Authority, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT. ‘They didn't understand what it means to eliminate risk,’ commented a union representative.

‘I have never seen so many managers and directors who were unprepared to deal with the situation in public and to talk to their employees properly,’ says a quality control employee. He adds that Northvolt “has a lot of inexperienced employees in all areas, including managers, engineers, in production, technicians, even directors”. A former data technician told the Financial Times that although he started ‘as an intern with no experience’, ‘I was given a lot of responsibility because there was no one else who could do it. I learned on the job and messed up everything. The frequent reorganisations, he said, had led to “the objectives constantly changing and it feeling very chaotic”. ‘The managers didn't listen carefully to the engineers,’ says another construction worker. ‘They had only one goal: to deliver the project within a fixed time frame. They didn't care about the budget.’ A former materials processor is quoted as saying that Northvolt wanted to develop products quickly in order to raise more money. He describes the process as follows: ’The products will probably be sent back, but if we deliver them, we will achieve our goal and receive the funding.’

Northvolt does not comment on the assessments. The bottom line is the impression of a company that had become totally bogged down due to its rapid growth. The Swedes' precarious situation became apparent worldwide in the summer of 2024 at the latest, when the German carmaker BMW unexpectedly cancelled a two-billion-dollar order with Northvolt, allegedly because of repeated delivery and quality problems. Northvolt later replaced its top management. Habeck, however, did not react to this either.

The Swedes have never made a profit in their short history. Their expenses are many times higher than their revenues. According to its own figures, the company needs around 30 million US dollars a week. This is clear from the documents that Northvolt's lawyers sent to the bankruptcy court. According to these documents, around one and a half billion dollars a year are needed from investors and institutions just to keep Northvolt alive. A problem? A spokesperson for Habeck sees it this way: ‘It is not uncommon and not surprising that young companies that set up large-scale production do not make a profit in the early years, but rather incur losses. In the beginning, there are huge investments, especially in battery cell production. That is precisely the reason for supporting such companies in this phase.’"



China has already bought one of their plants:
30.01.2025:

"Volvo Cars buys Northvolt's share in battery factory​

Volvo and Northvolt do not want to comment on the purchase price. The ailing Swedish company views the deal as positive. It shows that there is still interest in Northvolt.
...
Volvo Cars announced on Wednesday that the dispute was about the Novo Energy joint venture.
..."

It has a systematic approach of S in Kiruna.

"The mine Europe is clamoring for can be stopped by the municipality

The Per Geijer deposit northeast of Kiruna. Here is Europe's largest known deposit of rare earth metals. Now the extraction is under threat.

A detailed plan in Kiruna municipality could stop plans for a mine where LKAB has found Europe's largest find of rare earth metals.

Just under two weeks ago, the decision regarding Talga and the mine construction there was made. The government then bypassed Kiruna Municipality when it came to the detailed plan for the mine in Vittangi in Kiruna Municipality.

Talga received its environmental permit in the fall of 2024, but Kiruna Municipality did not want to adopt the detailed plan for the mine construction, whereupon Talga turned to the government.

The decision from the government was to force Kiruna Municipality to adopt the detailed plan to enable the graphite mine.

"It was expected, but still surprising that the government chooses to run over the municipality. Then one wonders what will happen next," commented Sanna Inga Poromaa (V), second vice chair of Kiruna's municipal board, to SVT.

Applies to the next mining project

She doesn't have to wonder anymore. It will be about the next mining project and now it's LKAB that is on the warpath against Kiruna Municipality.

LKAB is sounding the alarm that an amendment to the municipality's master plan has threatened the Per Geijer deposit and the future of the Kiruna mine.

The Per Geijer deposit is about the rare earth metals the world is crying out for, metals necessary for electric cars and wind turbines, among other things.

After successful exploration in the Kiruna area, LKAB can report mineral resources of more than one million tons of oxides, the now largest known deposit of its kind in Europe.

Mining means “good news for all of Europe”
"This is good news not only for LKAB, the region and for the Swedes, but also for Europe and for the climate. It is the largest known deposit of rare earth metals in our part of the world and could become a significant building block for obtaining the critical raw materials that are absolutely crucial to enabling the green transition," said LKAB's CEO Jan Moström when the news was presented.

The need is great. According to the European Commission, demand for rare earth metals for applications such as electric cars and wind turbines is expected to increase more than fivefold by 2030 – in a Europe that is currently completely dependent on imports in this area.

Changed the plan
Now LKAB is raising the alarm that the municipality has changed the master plan and that the land use is now stated as "outdoor recreation and reindeer husbandry".

That plot



LKAB is reacting strongly to the municipality writing that "the municipality's position is that further land claims for the mining industry should be limited as much as possible," reports SVT.

Stefan Hämäläinen, LKAB's director of community transformation, has written to the municipality and pointed out that there must have been "some serious error in the development of the plan" in light of how serious the consequences would be for LKAB and thus for Kiruna municipality.

Mine may be forced to close completely

According to LKAB, the consequence could be that LKAB is forced to close completely in Kiruna when the existing main level is fully mined in the 2030s.

Municipal councilor Mats Taaveniku (S) points out to SVT that it is unclear what the wording will look like in the final version, but cannot give any advance promise about a detailed plan for the mining industry.

Gabna Sameby has previously pointed out that a mine in the area will split the Sameby village in half and make traditional reindeer herding impossible."

What a false guy.
Then he should be honest with his constituents and the other people in his community and say openly that he will do everything in his power to stop it, or all of it, LKAB too and his municipal. The remainig people can live from reindeers.
Looks sweetly into the camera and pretend.
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WNK TAA