NORDIC TECHNOLOGY
Nordic by nature
Paul Moore reviews activities and developments at some of
the specialist METS companies in the Nordic region, both at
mines closer to home and in the wider global mining arena
he innovation of the Nordic countries’
mines and mining equipment and services
suppliers is famous worldwide, led by big
names like Sandvik, Outotec, SSAB, Metso and
Epiroc – but there is also an army of specialist
firms that have forged their businesses in the
mines of LKAB, Boliden and others but have gone
on to supply solutions to numerous other mines
globally while maintaining their relationships
closer to home. From pumps to contract mining
to raiseboring and drilling consumables, the hub
of expertise in Sweden, Finland, Norway and
Denmark has few equals, especially when it
comes to technical challenges like very hard rock,
difficult geology and harsh climatic conditions.
T
New Yara mining contract for
Tapojärvi
Finnish contract miner Tapojärvi Oy and
phosphate miner Yara have signed a long-term
contract for the provision of mining services at
the Siilinjärvi mine. The actual contract will come
Tapojärvi will carry out excavation for LKAB in
Gällivare at the underground Malmberget mine
for three years
42 International Mining | MAY 2020
into effect in 2022 following a preparation period,
which is going to take two years. The mining
services (eg drilling, loading and transportation
in the mining area) are included in the contract.
In the new operating model, based on a
strategic alliance, the owner of the mine and
Tapojärvi, being responsible for the mining
services, will advance, plan and run the daily
operations in close collaboration. The core of the
operations consists of permanent development
and the utilisation of both operators’ know-how.
“We are extremely happy about this
partnership and we will start preparations
immediately. The long contract enables versatile
development of mining operations. Safety,
quality, profitability and the well-being of the
area will play a fundamental role in developing
the operations,” says Martti Kaikkonen, the COO
of Tapojärvi.
More and more digital solutions are being
developed for the mining industry and these
solutions make sustainable working possible. For
example,
teleoperation and
vehicular
automation reduce
the risk of
accidents
essentially. “In the
new model we will
be able to combine
the experience and
expertise of two
competent
organisations in
order to achieve
our goals,” says
Antti Savolainen,
the Head of Yara Siilinjärvi mine.
Tapojärvi Oy is a specialist in mining and mill
Boliden has just entered into a new five-year
agreement with Forcit for the supply of
explosives services and materials
services. The company has been providing safe,
high-quality and profitable mining services for
decades. Tapojärvi operates currently at several
mines as an integral part of the production. The
company says it is constantly developing and
conducting research to advance the mining and
industrial branch. Tapojärvi has 500 employees.
Yara has three production facilities in Finland:
Uusikaupunki, Kokkola and Siilinjärvi, where
Western Europe’s only phosphate mine is
located. There are 900 employees in Finland. The
main products of Yara Siilinjärvi are fertilisers and
phosphoric acid. The fertilisers produced at the
site are mainly used in crop farming.
Tapojärvi has also recently entered into a long-
term contract with the Swedish iron ore miner
LKAB. Tapojärvi will carry out excavation for LKAB
in Gällivare at the underground Malmberget mine
for three years with the agreement also includes
an option for two years of extension. The project
including option years, worth a total of €38
million, is a significant milestone in Tapojärvi’s
strategic development. CEO Mari Pilventö: “We
have worked with LKAB before. With this
agreement, we have achieved our long-term goal
of reaching a multi-year agreement for Tapojärvi
Sverige.”
Flowrox going centrifugal
Last year, Lappeenranta, Finland-based Flowrox
launched a new heavy-duty CF-S horizontal
centrifugal pump that is designed for continuous
pumping of highly abrasive and dense slurries.
The CF-S pump is described as ideal for grinding
mill discharge, hydrocyclone feed, minerals
processing and tailings.