Kemi mine
 |
|
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kemi |
| Region | Lapland |
| Country | Finland |
| Coordinates | 65°47′N 24°43′E / 65.783°N 24.717°ECoordinates: 65°47′N 24°43′E / 65.783°N 24.717°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Chromium |
| Owner | |
| Company | Outokumpu |
The Kemi Mine is owned by Outokumpu Chrome Oy, a subsidiary of Outokumpu Oyj. It is located in Elijärvi, in the municipality of Keminmaa, to the north of Kemi. The Kemi Mine is the largest underground mine in Finland, with an annual production capacity of 2.7 million tonnes of ore. It is also part of the integrated ferrochrome and stainless steel manufacturing chain owned by Outokumpu in the Kemi-Tornio region. The Kemi Mine has approximately 400 employees every day, both employees of Outokumpu and contractors.
The purpose of the Kemi Mine in the long production chain from chromite ore to stainless steel is to produce concentrates from ore as raw material for the manufacture of ferrochrome at the ferrochrome plant located in Tornio. The chrome contained in the ferrochrome generated as a product at the ferrochrome plant – used as an alloying material in the steel manufacturing process – is what makes the steel manufactured at the Tornio steel plant stainless.
Operational safety, cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness are characteristics of the Kemi Mine. Low accident figures, together with clean and properly organized working environments, both 500 meters underground and on the surface, make an excellent setting for effective production, modern technological applications and the use of advanced working methods. Operations cause only a minor environmental impact because of the insolubility of the oxidic chromite ore, the chemical-free concentration method based on gravity, and the sealed process water circulation covering the entire mine and concentration process.
Signs of the existence of a chromite ore body were first discovered by amateur diver Martti Matilainen. Of the samples he sent to the Geological Survey of Finland, one was discovered to be high in chrome content on 30 June 1959. The sample was taken from the current mine area, and the ore deposit was discovered by the next spring. Geologist Aarno Kahma led the exploration. After its baseline study, the Geological Survey of Finland handed over the deposit to Outokumpu Oy, which continued the survey until 1962. At the time, the size of the ore body was estimated to be 30 million tonnes. In autumn 1964, Outokumpu decided to start utilizing the chrome deposit in Kemi and started to build a road from Perta-aapa to Elijärvi in autumn 1965. At the same time, earth-moving work began in the future mine area. The first mine buildings were completed late in 1966.
...
Wikipedia