Cementa gets go-ahead for Gotland quarry

A Swedish court has given Cementa the green light to continue mining limestone at its quarry on the island of Gotland, heading off the risk of a shortage of cement in the building industry, reports Reuters.

Cementa, which is part of Heidelberg Materials, has been clashing with local groups over plans to extend mining on Gotland, where the company produces about 75 per cent of the cement used in Sweden. The court said in a statement that it had decided that a nearby nature reserve, protected under European law, would not be damaged by the quarry operations and that drinking water supplies would also remain secure.

Cementa said that the court had issued an enforcement order which would mean that “the permit can be put into operation immediately, even if the ruling is appealed”. Last year, a court rejected a long-term extension of quarrying at the site, only for that decision to be overruled by the government, giving the Slite operation a stay of execution.

Cementa had warned of cement rationing as a result, reports Kalkine Media.

The company then applied for a new permit to quarry for another four years while it prepares an application to secure production at the Slite plant for the coming decades. That application is expected to be registered in spring.

A government report last year warned that 150,000 jobs could be at risk if the construction sector grinds to a halt, while importing cement could lead to increased CO₂ emissions. Construction currently accounts for around 11 per cent of GDP in Sweden, according to the country's construction federation.