Skaland is a small village on the east side of Senja that happens to be the site of Europe's largest crystalline graphite producer. Graphite was discovered here in 1870 and commercial mining started in 1917. The processing plant and port sit right in the village, visible from the road.
The mine at Skaland produces about 10,500 tonnes of graphite a year and is the world's highest-grade operating flake graphite mine, with ore averaging around 25 percent carbon. Since 2007 the ore is sourced from the nearby Trælen mine and trucked to Skaland for processing. The operation changed hands in December 2024 from Australian-owned Mineral Commodities to Norge Mining.
A graphite mine on a fishing island above the Arctic Circle is not what most visitors expect to find. There are no public tours, but the plant is clearly visible from the road.
The mine at Skaland produces about 10,500 tonnes of graphite a year and is the world's highest-grade operating flake graphite mine, with ore averaging around 25 percent carbon. Since 2007 the ore is sourced from the nearby Trælen mine and trucked to Skaland for processing. The operation changed hands in December 2024 from Australian-owned Mineral Commodities to Norge Mining.
A graphite mine on a fishing island above the Arctic Circle is not what most visitors expect to find. There are no public tours, but the plant is clearly visible from the road.