Boliden expands electronic scrap recycling

Boliden expands electronic scrap recycling

Boliden is investing SEK 1.3 billion and trebling its electronic scrap recycling
capacity. The investment increases the capacity to 120,000 tonnes per year and
thereby strengthens Boliden's position as one of the world's leading recyclers
of electronic scrap. 

The combination of the increased use of electronic products, shorter product
lifecycles and stricter legislation governing the collection and processing of
electronic waste means that the global availability of electronic scrap is
increasing, and that the availability of electronic scrap now exceeds the
capacity for recycling it. 

The investment, in which a Kaldo furnace at the Rönnskär copper smelter is the
biggest component, will increase the facility's electronic scrap recycling
capacity from the current level of 45,000 tonnes per year to 120,000 tonnes. The
expansion will be implemented in 2010 and 2011 and is expected to come on line
at the end of 2011/beginning of 2012. Reflecting major synergies with the
existing copper production process a pay-back of less than four years will be
achieved. 

“A growing part of the raw materials used in metal production in future will
come from scrap products. The expansion takes advantage of our extensive
experience of processing electronic scrap and will enhance Rönnskär's commercial
potential in a growing market,” says Roger Sundqvist, General Manager at
Rönnskär. 

The Rönnskär smelter has, for many years now, been a technological leader in the
field of recycling metals from electronic scrap, and it is now one of the
world's biggest players in the field. The margins in electronic scrap recycling
are higher and the profitability's volatility lower than in traditional copper
production. 

The expansion is in line with Boliden's view of metals' eco-cycle in a
sustainable society. By increasing Rönnskär's capacity, Boliden is helping
ensure that more electronic scrap is recycled, rather than being sent to
landfills. 


For further information, please contact:
Svante Nilsson, SVP Business Area Smelters, tel: +46 (0)8 610 1527, +46 (0)70
583 32 78
Roger Sundqvist, General Manager, Rönnskär, tel: +46 (0)910 77 3300, +46 (0)70
399 7291 
Marcela Sylvander, Director Group Communications, Boliden AB, tel: +46 (0)8 610
15 59, +46 (0)733 244 551
Frans Benson, Investor Relations, Boliden AB, tel: +46 (0)8 610 15 23

Boliden is a leading European metals company whose core competence is in the
fields of exploration, mining, smelting and recycling. Boliden's main metals are
zinc and copper. Other important metals extracted and refined include lead, gold
and silver. The operations are conducted in two Business Areas: Mines and
Smelters. The number of employees is approximately 4 400 and the turnover
amounts to approximately SEK 28 billion annually. Its shares are listed on
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, segment Large Cap and on the Toronto Stock Exchange in
Canada.
www.boliden.com