Last week, we celebrated a significant milestone in the Viscaria project as we commenced the construction of our groundbreaking water treatment plant. This marks the beginning of an exciting chapter in our journey towards sustainable and efficient mining. We sat down with Thomas Nordmark, our Logistics and Infrastructure Manager, to gain insight into what this event means for the project and how we plan to tackle the upcoming challenges.
Can you tell us a bit about last week’s milestone and what it means for the Viscaria project?
For everyone at Viscaria, it feels like ‘Finally, we’re really getting started.’ For us in Logistics & Infrastructure, we’ve had a number of preparations leading up to this milestone. We’ve connected a 10 kV power grid to build and operate our pilot water treatment plant, secured access to the area via the Viscaria passage (the bridge over the Malmbanan railway), and established and moved into our site office.
Was last week’s event a “turning the first sod”? How do we ensure the construction process for the water treatment plant is as efficient and sustainable as possible?
At Viscaria, there’s no room for shovels and sod-turning, as all groundworks will be carried out with modern and efficient machinery. We want to start construction, mine dewatering, and later mining production as quickly as possible. An efficient and sustainable process begins with careful and detailed planning, where all departments within Viscaria contribute input and review the plans.
In addition to technical requirements, we consider our commitments under the environmental ruling and interfaces with the mine and the processing plant. On the sustainability side, we focus on minimising our footprint, protecting vegetation, and improving energy efficiency. Additionally, we produce our own filling material, thus avoiding unnecessary transports. The transports that must occur within the area use HVO as fuel from our on-site fuel station.
Local collaborations are an important part of Viscaria’s operational development. What local collaborations have you established to support this project, and how do they contribute to your success?
It is always advantageous to use local resources as it minimises travel and accommodation costs. The local companies are experienced in working within the mining industry, which helps with work methods and safety. Our requirement, however, is crystal clear – it must be cost-effective. We procure all contracts according to our procurement policy, and it was pleasing that the local company LTH won the first contract for the groundworks of the water treatment plant in tough competition.
Are there any logistical and infrastructural challenges you foresee with the construction of the new water treatment plant?
The biggest challenge is probably the timing. We would have preferred to build during the snow-free period, but now we will have to construct the water treatment plant building during the winter, which presents a greater challenge. On the process side, there is always some uncertainty regarding the delivery of specific water treatment equipment as these are not stock items. We are working intensively and closely to meet and overcome these challenges early.
How will the new water treatment plant affect the overall timeline for the reopening of the mine in 2026?
Mine dewatering cannot start until the water treatment plant is in place, which affects when we can start underground mining production. If everything goes according to plan and we work as we should, the reopening will proceed according to the schedule.
We thank Thomas Nordmark, our Logistics and Infrastructure Manager, for these insights and look forward to following the development of this exciting project.