Gruvaktiebolaget Viscaria has entered into an agreement valued at approximately €40 million with Finnish mining-equipment company Metso for processing systems at its copper project near Kiruna, Sweden.
The contract covers a broad range of equipment and services, including crushing, flotation, magnetic separation, filtration, thickening, pumps, hydrocyclones and process analysers, together with engineering services. The agreement follows previous orders covering SAG and ball mills, increasing the proportion of the project’s processing equipment supplied by Metso.
Under the agreement, detailed engineering and procurement of critical equipment can proceed. Viscaria said this represents a move from project planning into construction execution. The concentrator is among the development’s largest capital components. The planned operation is designed to produce approximately 120,000 tonnes of copper concentrate annually. If completed according to plan, Viscaria would become Sweden’s second-largest copper producer.
The investment is being made as European policymakers seek to expand domestic production of copper and other metals used in electricity grids, renewable energy, electric vehicles and industrial electrification. Expectations for copper demand have increased alongside grid expansion and electrification, which require larger volumes of the metal for power infrastructure. At the same time, Europe remains substantially dependent on imported copper concentrates and refined copper.
Sweden has an established mining and processing industry, while the Kiruna region is home to some of Europe’s largest mining operations. This provides projects in the area with access to mining infrastructure, technical expertise and an experienced mining-services sector. The latest Metso agreement covers equipment that is typically committed after mine design, flowsheet development and capital planning have reached an advanced stage. Major orders can also address manufacturing lead times associated with mills, flotation systems, filters and other specialised processing equipment, supporting project scheduling.
For Viscaria, the development now moves into a phase involving construction, commissioning and financing. The project will also have to demonstrate that its concentrator can maintain the planned recoveries and concentrate quality once production begins. For Metso, the contract adds to its involvement in European copper investment and includes an integrated package of processing equipment and technology supplied to the Swedish project. Viscaria’s development near Kiruna has therefore progressed from engineering and planning toward procurement and construction execution, with the €40 million equipment agreement covering a major part of the planned processing infrastructure.
