Talvivaara mine

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Talvivaara mine
Ilmakuva 2013 (9712992370).jpg
Aerial photograph of Talvivaara mine in June 2013.
Talvivaara mine
Interactive map of Talvivaara mine
Location
Location Sotkamo
Region Kainuu
Country Finland
Production
Products Nickel, Copper, Zinc, Cobalt
Production20,864 tons nickel; 47,205 tons zinc [1]
Financial year2017
TypeOpen-pit
History
Opened2008 (2008) [2]
Owner
Company Terrafame
Website www.terrafame.com/front-page.html
Year of acquisition2015 [3]

The Talvivaara mine is one of the largest nickel mines in Finland. [4] The mine is located in Sotkamo in Kainuu region of Finland. The mine is owned by government-established Terrafame, which bought it from the bankruptcy-bound Talvivaara Mining Company in 2015. [3] Its annual production capacity is over 10 million tonnes of ore. The mine has reserves amounting to 1 billion tonnes of ore grading 0.22% nickel, 0.13% copper, 0.5% zinc and 0.02% cobalt thus resulting 2.2 million tonnes of nickel, 1.3 million tonnes of copper, 5 million tonnes of zinc and 0.2 million tonnes of cobalt. [4]

Contents

The mine had suffered several leaks of toxic metal-contaminated tailings, which had threatened local waterways. Members of the management were charged with criminal environmental offenses. [5]

Uranium recovery

Ore at the mine contains small concentrations of uranium, which is dissolved from the ore during bioleaching. Terrafame started uranium recovery in June 2024. After the ramp-up phase, the mine is expected to produce 200 tonnes of uranium per year, which will be exported abroad for refining into nuclear power plant fuel. The production roughly corresponds to the consumption of the Loviisa nuclear power plant. [6] Uranium recovery employs approximately 40 people and increases Terrafame's turnover by approximately €30 million to €40 million per year. [7]

References

  1. ↑ "Terrafame's net sales more than doubled in 2017 – EBITDA positive". Terrafame. 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-15.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Talvivaara produces first metal on schedule". Mining weekly. 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  3. 1 2 "Govt steps in to save Talvivaara mining operations". Yle Uutiset. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  4. 1 2 "Geology". Talvivaara Mining Company. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  5. ↑ "Four charged in Talvivaara toxic leak case". Yle. 22 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Finland is now the EU's only uranium producer – Sotkamo's uranium is enough raw material to meet the fuel needs of one nuclear power plant". Yle.
  7. ↑ "Terrafame has started uranium recovery". Terrafame.

63°58′03″N28°01′04″E / 63.9674°N 28.0179°E / 63.9674; 28.0179

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