Enacted in 2018, the ban prevented the issue of any new permits for uranium exploration or mining and halted development of projects despite Sweden’s significant uranium potential.
Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari said in February last year that the prohibition had become an obstacle to both Sweden’s mining sector and its energy transition.
“It must be legal to take care of the Swedish uranium that is already out of the ground; it is completely incomprehensible that the miners had to treat it as waste,” Pourmokhtari remarked.
If lawmakers approve the amendments, uranium would once again qualify as a concession mineral under the Minerals Act. This would allow companies to apply for exploration permits and processing concessions, provided they meet the same regulatory conditions that apply to other metals and minerals.
Industry officials and politicians have argued that removing the ban will also help unlock deposits of critical minerals that often occur alongside uranium.
Mats Green, group leader in the Moderate Party’s economic affairs committee, welcomed the move, calling the prohibition misguided from the start.
“The ban on uranium mining was wrong when it was introduced – the fact that we are now removing it is positive for Sweden as an industrial and mining nation,” he said.
The policy shift comes as Sweden pursues a broader revival of nuclear power.
In November 2023, parliament removed a longstanding cap on the number of nuclear reactors and authorized construction on new sites.
Today, six reactors supply about one-third of Sweden’s electricity, with the country importing nearly all of its nuclear fuel.
The possibility of renewed uranium development has drawn interest from international companies.
In June, Australian firms Aura Energy (ASX:AEE, AIM:AURA,OTC Pink:AUEEF) and Neu Horizon Uranium announced plans to collaborate on Swedish uranium projects should the ban be lifted.
Aura Energy controls the Häggån deposit in Jämtland, described as one of the world’s largest undeveloped uranium resources with an inferred 800 million pounds of contained U3O8. Neu Horizon Uranium holds a portfolio of projects in key mineralized regions of the country.
District Metals (TSXV:DMX), a Canadian company with major exploration holdings in Sweden, also welcomed the government’s announcement.
Garrett Ainsworth, District’s chief executive officer, said in a statement: “We are pleased to see that the Swedish government is moving forward with the removal of the uranium ban. It is obvious that the Swedish government’s ambition is to create a regulatory framework where uranium is treated in the same fashion as other metals and minerals and with the same permitting requirements.”
District holds the Viken Energy Metals deposit, located in central Sweden, which it describes as the largest undeveloped mineral resource estimate of uranium in the world. The deposit also contains significant quantities of vanadium, molybdenum, nickel, copper, zinc, and other critical raw materials.
While approval is not guaranteed, the government holds momentum after its earlier success in overturning restrictions on nuclear reactor construction. If passed, the new law would mark the first time since 2018 that companies could apply for uranium exploration permits in Sweden.
The legislative proposal is expected to reach parliament before the end of 2025.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
