Sveagruva is a mining settlement in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard lying at the head of Van Mijenfjord. It is the third-largest settlement in the territory (after Longyearbyen and Barentsburg), with a population of about 300citation needed. The settlement is operated by Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani and is served by the airport Svea Airport. The town was first established in 1917 by the Swedes[1]. The town was destroyed in 1944, but was quickly re-established after World War II. In the 1990's the town nearly vanished, due to more productive, and accessible mines in Longyearbyen.
Today, Sveagruva holds the most productive coal mine of Svalbard, the Svea Nord longwall mine. Opened in 2001, the mine produces 3 million metric tons of coal annuallycitation needed, making it one of the largest underground coal mines in Europe.
