Society needs gravel to develop. There are currently around 40 facilities on Holmen's land around the country where we offer rock and gravel material needed for the local and regional market. This is how we work at Holmen with quarries.
Gravel and ballast material are essential for all aspects of social development, including new construction and the maintenance of buildings, roads, and railways. The demand for gravel is significant, and it is crucial that its production is carried out in a sustainable and circular manner.
As a major landowner, Holmen believes it has a responsibility to contribute to this effort to meet local and regional needs. We can identify sites that meet both the high standards for land use and the appropriate geological conditions.
Holmen develops and operates quarries, as well as mass handling nodes, which include the reception and handling of materials from construction and road works carried out on Holmen's own land holdings. These quarries are intended for use by actors in central towns, major projects, and on our own land where we conduct forestry.
Holmen currently operates around 40 facilities across the country, providing gravel and ballast materials needed for the local and regional market. We also have several development projects underway, at various stages.
Holmen's business concept is circular, and circularity is a clear part of our strategy for rock and gravel products. In this area, we are actively working towards a sustainable material supply from a societal perspective.
Our starting point is that our facilities should meet the requirements for proper land use and environmental compliance. Additionally, we consider transport distances to minimize emissions and the possibility of setting aside areas for recycling materials.
When it comes to sustainable material supply, Holmen is active in both practical work and strategic issues. We want to be involved and contribute to the development of the area. We do this, among other things, through our participation in the Swedish aggregates industry (SBMI), especially in the issue of the industry's roadmap for fossil-free competitiveness by 2045. There, the questions revolve around processes in raw material extraction, transport to the factory or manufacturing site, the manufacture of materials and products, and transport to where the gravel is to be used.
In parallel with this, we are working on what the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) has developed on behalf of the government regarding method development for regional material supply planning. There, the focus is on sub-areas such as the rock's properties, soil depth, values in the landscape, transport distances and that the right volumes and permit times can be applied.
