Boliden: Seismic damage at Garpenberg cuts production to ~30%
- Inspections show major damage to ventilation, compressed-air, water-management, electrical infrastructure and backfill paste; repairs will take several weeks.
- Restart planned in Q2 at ~100 kt/month, roughly 30% of 3.7 Mton annual capacity (Q1 throughput ~0.8 Mton vs expected >0.9 Mton).
- Upper parts of the Lappberget orebody are heavily damaged and unlikely to be mined in 2026, while other positions in Lappberget and the two other orebodies will resume.
- Q1 EBITDA impact about SEK -400 million; zinc grade expected to decline slightly and silver grade to improve.
Seismic status
Seismic activity at Garpenberg has decreased; inspections have largely been carried out but are not yet complete and some areas remain inaccessible for safety reasons.
Inspections and damage
Inspections show major damage to ventilation, compressed-air systems, water management, electrical infrastructure and backfill paste, while crushers, the hoist system and workshops are largely unaffected; repairs are estimated to take a few more weeks.
Mining positions and schedule
Garpenberg has three orebodies with Lappberget dominant; upper parts of Lappberget are heavily damaged and unlikely to be mined in 2026, but other positions in Lappberget and the two other orebodies are considered largely unaffected and will resume production in Q2.
Production and grades
Q1 throughput was just under 0.8 Mton versus an expected slightly over 0.9 Mton; until further notice production is estimated at ~30% of the guided 3.7 Mton/year, initially ~100 kt/month with potential increase in H2; zinc grade expected to decline slightly and silver grade to improve.
Financial impact
Q1 2026 EBITDA is expected to be approximately SEK -400 million at current prices and terms.
Source: Boliden