Samples from the Sakatti copper-nickel deposit

Courtesy: AA Sakatti Mining

Oy
Agnico-Eagle
Mines Ltd.

Finlands Green Mining Concept

Pekka A. Nurmi, Ph.D., Prof.
Research Director
9th Fennoscandian Exploration & Mining
Levi, 29-31 October, 2013
Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

Mines and Mine Projects 2013

Ore extraction in Finland

Huge expansion potential

Unique opportunities for rural regions

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

Mining Boom in Fennoscandia

Major new mines 2012
Expansion/reopening of old mines

Pekka
29 Oct. 2013
NurmiNurmi
& Eilu

Novem

Finland Offers Commodities for Long-Term Needs

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

??

Finlands Mineral Strategy 2010

http://www.mineraalistrategia.fi/materiaalit/fi_FI/materiaalit/_files/84608410538672182/default/FinlandsMineralsStrategy.pdf

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

Key Challenges for the Mining Industry

Deposits more difficult to discover: deeper, remote, lower

grade, more difficult to process
Skills crisis
Volatility of commodity prices
Critical minerals change with time and tehnological
development
Access to land
Social lincense to operate

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

1. Material and Energy Efficiency

Goal is to reduce environmental footprint of

mineral based products.
Recovery of all useful minerals and byproducts, and minimizing waste.
Reduction of energy and primary water
consumption.
Reliable ways of measuring the efficiency
and the environmental footprint during the
life cycle.

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

2. Availability of Mineral Resources for

Future Needs

Our current use of minerals shouldt endanger the

ability of future generations to satisfy their needs.
Mineral resources in the Earths crust are in no
danger of running out.
Increasing commodity prices make new deposits
viable, and promote substitution.
Active exploration combined with geoscientific
research, and development of exploration and
mining techniques, are needed for safeguarding
resources for future .
Better product design and recycling are also needed
for prolonging the life cycle of raw materials.

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

3. Minimizing Adverse Environmental

and Social Impacts

All mines impact the environment, economy and

social structure of the region.
Adverse environmental and social impacts in all stages
of the operations should be minimized, and social and
local benefits maximized.
Better control and measurement methods are needed.
Sustainable mining requires research, communication
and broad-based community participation.

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

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4. Improvement of Work and

Organisational Practices

Mining is based on the use of heavy machinery, and

includes potential safety hazards.
Work must be organized to be safe and meaningful to
employees, and safe to local residents and the
environment.
Automation and new technologies help to reduce the
need of workforce and improve safety.
Most operations in future smart mines will be executed
using remote control.

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

11

5. Sustainable Land Use after Mine Closure

The operation time for an individual mine is always

limited.
After closure, mining areas should be restored to
make them safe and to allow other kinds of land use.
Planning of mine closure is started well before
commencing mining operations and it should be
developed throughout the projects life cycle.
Broad-based participation of local residents and
other stakeholders is important.
Closure of a mine requires functional and tested
technical and scientific methods.

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

12

Tekes - Green Mining Programme

Tekes Green Mining Programme aims to make Finland a

global forerunner of responsible mining.
Duration: 20112016
Budget: EUR 60 million
Over 51 projects under way
GTK leading 8 projects and is a partner in 5 projects

Tekes funds for innovations by 570 M annually

http://www.tekes.fi/en/programmes-and-services/tekes-programmes/green-mining/
Source: Tekes
Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

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Green Mining
Material and
energy efficiency

Tekes programme themes

Controlling
environmental
impacts

New mineral
Resources
Exploration

technologies
Geomodels and geodata
management
Hi-tech metal resources
Beneficiation and use of country
rock and tailings

Work organisation
development
projects

Mine / dressing
plant pilot

Intelligent and minimal

impact/invisible mining
Innovative

processes
(mine, quarry, dressing plant)
Automation and optimisation
Chemical/biological enrichment
techniques
Management of process waters

Mining machinery / equipment

Service / product innovations and new business concepts
Value networks
Source: Tekes
Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

14

Summary of Projects
Company projects:

Public projects :

Number of projects 23
Total costs around 28 M
Tekes funding 11.3 M

Number of projects 28
Total costs around 20 M
Tekes funding 13.2 M

PARTICIPANTS
19 Research organizations
23 Mining and exploration companies
62 Technology and service companies
30 International partners
Source: Tekes
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15

UltraLIM - Ultra Low-Impact Exploration

Methods in the Subarctic
Needs
Mineral exploration in the subarctic areas covered by
thick glacial deposits, peat bogs and weathered bedrock
Practical knowledge and experimental results of
exploration methods for environmentally sensitive areas
Approach
Use of upper parts of the mineral soils, organic layers,
plants and snow as the sample media for exploration
Find the best practices for sampling and assaying
samples in very sensitive subarctic regions
Benefits
New application and knowledge for the mineral
exploration with minimum impact on environment

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

16

PROSU Process Scale-up for Sulphide Poor

PGE Ores
Needs

Theres needs for development of ecological and costeffective beneficiation process for PGE ores with low
sulphur content

Approach
Mineralogical investigation of feed and concentrates
at various stages, including phases, occurrence, grain
size, liberation and association
Mineral processing studies from laboratory to pilot
scale and optimizing of process conditions
Benefits
Better knowledge and processing possibilities of
sulphide-poor PGE ore deposits
Utilization of low-grade Finnish PGE deposits

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

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ARSENAL Arsenic Control in Mining

Needs
Arsenic is a world-wide challenge
Arsenic is commonly associated with ores
It is easily solubilized in water phase
Approach
New mineral processing and water treatment solutions for arsenic
removal
Novel bio-based treatment processes for arsenic containing wastes and
streams
Monitoring and environmental risk assessment tools
Benefits
Better knowledge and new management tools on arsenic in mining area
Eco-efficient solutions for mining industry to control and remove arsenic
Minimization of health and environmental risks related to arsenic

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

18

SEEWAY - Smart Mine Water Treatment System

Needs
Mines have too much water in their systems
Mines are searching potential mine water treatment processes
Smarter treatment is needed: different seasons, metals,
system products
Approach
Piloting cost-effective mine water treatment processes
Using new chemical and material innovations
Developing metal selective water purification processes
Tailoring new pilot-systems regarding metals and waters
Benefits
Effective water treatment of heavy metals also in hard pH
conditions
Water treatment processes are tested and assured beforehand
Optimized use of chemicals with soft-sensor systems

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

19

SAM Sustainable Acceptable Mining

Needs
Sustainability drivers for mining industry,
Eco-efficiency,
with focus on social acceptance
environment
Approach
OPERATIONAL
Multiscience approach that includes the three
PHASE
elements of sustainability, incl. foresight and
Socially acceptable and
technology aspects.
Sustainable mining industry
Benefits
POST
PRE
Tools for water efficiency and water risk
OPERATIONAL
OPERATIONAL
PHASE
PHASE
assessment.
Concept for social licence to operate and Social licence to operate, New business and
service concepts
improved dialogue between companies and planning process
stakeholders.
Potential business models and service concepts
to promote the overall sustainability and will
Sandvik Oy Ab
Kaivannaisteollisuus ry
enhance eco-efficiency of the value chain.
Metshallitus
Mustavaaran kaivos
Pyhsalmi Mines

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

Agnico-Eagle Mines
Northland Mines
Sakatti Mining
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Finnish Government Action Plan for

Extractive Industries (2013)
Vision 2030: Finland is a leader in sustainable extractive industry

Based on debate between different interest

groups: 150 experts in 10 thematic groups
The project was led by Minister of Economy
Jan Vapaavuori, and round-table discussions
were participated also by the prime minister,
and the ministers of labour and environment.
High level steering group lead by permanent
secretaries nominated to follow and promote
implementation
http://www.tem.fi/files/37130/TEMjul_22_2013_web_04072013.pdf

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

21

Action Plan Players and Focus Areas

Continuous improvement
Industry

Dialogue with stakeholders

Open communications
Good administration

Public sector

Competence
Sustainable use of raw materials
Development of the operating environment
Growth through internationality

All parties in cooperation

Export of technologies and services

Encouragement & remuneration
Information management and communication
Source: TEM

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Finland Supports Green Mining R&I

Tekes (funding for innovations 570 M/a)
Green Mining programme (60 M) 2011-2016
EraMin programme: raw materials for European industries
Expected a new program after Green Mining??
Academy of Finland (funding for basic research 330 M/a)
Targetted funding (8 M) for:
Primary mineral resources programme (1st call 2013)
Arctic research programme incl. rawmaterials (1st call 2013)
NordMin network (Nordic Council of Ministers)
3-year programme to strengthen Nordic cooperation and
improve competitiveness of the Nordic mining and minerals
industry (3 M, 1st call 2013)
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EU Supports Green Mining R&I

Actions to safeguard sustainable use of raw materials:
EIP (European Innovation Partnership on raw materials) 2012 Horizon 2020 programme for innovation R&D&I (700 M for raw
materials R&D&I)
EIT-KIC raw materials 2015: Finland & Sweden heading for a
node of excellence on primary resources (education, business
development , R&I)
Major on-going projects (ProMine, I2Mine, EuRare, Minerals4EU,
etc.)
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/raw-materials/innovation-partnership/
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This is our momentum

we need partnership between
the minerals industry, research
institutes, universities and
other stake-holders!

Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

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Green Mining is
the Way to Go!

Please, enjoy the ice-breaker

and make new friends!
Pekka Nurmi 29 Oct. 2013

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