NCC raises dam walls for LKAB in Kiruna, Sweden
NCC has been commissioned by LKAB to raise the walls of the tailings dam in Kiruna, Sweden, to secure the long-term storage of ore tailings. The project is a construction contract in partnering form with an order value of approximately SEK 170 million.
Image: LKAB
NCC has been commissioned by LKAB to raise walls on two sections of the tailings dam at the Kiruna mine’s industrial site in 2023-2024. The contract includes foundation work on the dam toe of these two sections and raising the crest of the dams by six and two meters, respectively. Raising the crest will require significant excavation and filling work – approximately 300,000 m³ of excavation and approximately 800,000 m³ of filling. The height increases are being conducted at the rate required to meet the measured storage needs and at the rate permitted under the applicable environmental permit. NCC will also install power supply for measuring wells and lay drainage pipes and soakaways.
“One prerequisite for the production of iron ore at the Kiruna mine is that we continuously safeguard the storage of ore tailings. For this to work, we must continually raise the walls of the tailings dam so it can store more ore tailings. To create the optimal conditions in terms of time and cost efficiency, we have now entered a collaboration with NCC to guarantee storage over the long term,” says Mattias Ejnestrand, advisor, project division LKAB.
When iron ore is mined, a large quantity of wet waste is created, or ore tailings, which are stored in tailing dams. These tailings storage facilities contain a tailings dam and a clarifying reservoir. The ore tailings are left to settle in the tailing dam while the water passes into the clarifying reservoir.
“NCC has built dams in the past and has long and solid experience from similar assignments around the Malmfälten mining district. We are proud and happy that LKAB has entrusted us with this task and look forward to initiating the partnership,” says Robert Nilsson, Production Manager at NCC Infrastructure in Kiruna.
The contract is a partnering agreement with an order value of approximately SEK 170 million and it will be registered among orders in the NCC Infrastructure business area in the second quarter of 2023. The project is scheduled for completion in autumn 2024.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Nilsson, Production Manager, NCC Infrastructure, robert.nilsson@ncc.se
Lotta Wrangle, Communication Partner, NCC, lotta.wrangle@ncc.se
NCC’s media line: +46 8 585 519 00, press@ncc.se, NCC’s Mediabank
About NCC. NCC is one of the leading construction companies in the Nordics. Based on its expertise in managing complex construction processes, NCC contributes to the positive impact of construction for its customers and society. Operations include building and infrastructure project contracting, asphalt and stone materials production, and commercial property development. In 2022, NCC had sales of about SEK 54 bn and 12,500 employees. NCC’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
