Hunting for minerals in 600 locations in Sweden - companies are allowed to drill without landowner's permission

The UN and the EU have on several occasions set targets for the world to become less fossil-dependent. An adjustment where electric cars, wind turbines and solar panels play a big role.

But these are products that also require new minerals and metals.

- We will need more mines. There I think Sweden is a great place to be. Because we have very high demands on the environment and we have a fantastic bedrock. If you listen to the UN, they say that we will not be able to achieve a single one of the global goals or the Paris Agreement if we do not have access to sustainable energy and raw materials, says Erika Ingvald at the State Geological Survey, SGU.

The hunt for minerals has increased in recent years in Sweden. In more than 600 locations, companies and operators are authorized to survey the land, according to the Bergsstaten authority that issues a permit.

Last year, SEK 782 million was invested in exploration, only once before so much money has been invested - that was before the last mining boom.

Over the past three years, interest in minerals that can be used in green technology has increased dramatically.

These include vanadium, which can store energy from wind and solar power - but also about lithium and cobalt which are used, for example, in electric car batteries.

At least one third of the companies that are prospecting are foreign companies, shows a survey that Assignment review done together with SVT's local news editions.

- The exploration permit means only the exclusive right to prospect in front of others. And an exclusive right also if you find something later, says Åsa Persson, rock master at Bergsstaten.

The exploration permit does not mean that you have permission to open a mine, but that you can drill a test - regardless of who owns the land, according to Åsa Persson.

Can landowners say no to drilling on their land at all?

- You have the right to appeal. But when you have appealed as far as you can, then you can say no more, if you have not got right in court.

But how often is it when landowners get right in court?

- It's very rare.

Skåne Österlen is one of the places where the sought after minerals are found.

In Tomelilla's countryside, dairy farmers Åsa and Johnny Mårtensson have lived for 25 years. A few months ago, they received a letter from the British company Scandivanadium that they should test drill on their land.

- I have always believed that ownership was greater than it was, but it is nothing. It feels a little eastern state over it in some way, says Johnny Mårtensson.

Johnny and Åsa Mårtensson have opposed the test drilling, but so far they have not been allowed to stop them.

Do you expect that sooner or later they will enter your land and test drills?

- Then they may be forced into it. I intend to fight as long as possible, says Åsa Mårtensson.

According to Åsa Persson at Bergsstaten, the vast majority of exploration permits go through.

- The purpose of the Mineral Act is that we should have an efficient exploration. We can only have that if it is possible to prospect over large areas regardless of landowner. And then the idea is that you should actually be able to go against an individual landowner's wishes and prospect on that person's land, says mountaineer Åsa Persson.

But even though Sweden has rich bedrock in its quarters, and can be favorable to prospect in, the dream can end there. It is rarely a mine actually opens, according to Bergsstaten, when many agencies must give their permission and it is a costly process.

- We have 600 current investigation permits right now in Sweden. But if we say based on the 600 purely theoretically it would perhaps be half to a mine, says Åsa Persson.

The British company that wants to test drill on Åsa and Johnny Mårtensson's land, Scandivanadium, searches for vanadium - a mineral with the ability to store large amounts of energy.

Last year, prices of vanadium rushed to their peak at the end of 2018. The same year, Scandivanadium received 11 exploration permits in Tomelilla, Ystad, Simrishamn and Hörby municipality. The area covers a total of 22,000 hectares - larger than Stockholm.

Scandivanadium has said that they want to start a green, small-scale mining on Österlen. The vanadium should be used for large flow batteries to store the energy from clean energy such as solar power and wind power.

- This company was created because we wanted to contribute to the transition. This is our way of trying to prevent climate change. New materials are needed to move from a fossil-based economy to a renewable bar, said Alex Walker, co-founder of Scandivanadium to SVT's Agenda.

But since the vanadium is located in the alumina slate, which contains uranium, critical voices have been raised by residents in Österlen against the company intending to manage the waste from the quarry.

But when Assignment Review asks the question to Scandivanadium's CEO David Minchin, it turns out that the company has no solution yet. David Minchin writes that they want to use the waste in the restoration of nature or in the construction industry - but that the final plan will be decided together with the community and the shareholders.

The dairy farmers Åsa and Johnny Mårtensson are critical of the company's green ambitions.

- If you can prove that you save the environment, there is probably no discussion, but it feels like they are out and playing a little. Because it is interesting. We have no evidence that it works yet, ”says Åsa Mårtensson.

If you listen to what the company is saying, it is about that we have to change the climate, these metals are needed in the new conversion and the metals happen to be here. What do you think of that development?

- That we may have to wait until there is a better concept instead, says Johnny Mårtensson.

- In a place where it fits better, Åsa Mårtensson fills in.