The 12th Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining conference (FEM) took place in Levi, Finnish Lapland, as has been the habit in recent years. The delegation of the Geological Survey of Estonia: Alvar Soesoo, Sigrid Hade, Heikki Bauert, Tiit Kaasik, Siim Nirgi and Johannes Vind, visited FEM, and also the unique mining complex of Terrafame in Sotkamo.
The conference that is held every other year in Levi, Lapland, is dedicated principally to exploration of ores, mining activities and related economic issues in Fennoscandia*. It is clear why such an event is important also for us, when it is reminded that literally every overview on the geology of Estonia starts with the almost cliché sentence “Estonia is located at the southern flank of the Fennoscandian shield”.
The conference presentations were very varying, from reconnaissance exploration projects of geologically unknown areas to new developments aiming at starting full-scale production. Special awards for remarkable achievements were also handed over.
Although European mining activities are lagging behind in several fields in the global context, the existing projects definitely represent top-class. Almost without exception, the presentations by both policy makers and developers started with reference to climate change. What comes to Scandinavia, it is obvious that there is an extremely serious dedication to environmental issues. The dedication is not derived from the legislative situation but it is essential for gaining a so-called social licence to operate. Current hot topics are gold and battery metals, which have growing markets. Particularly the issue of battery metals is globally very important, as transition into climate-friendly technologies requires substantial means for saving energy. Intriguing presentations dealt also with completely automated and remotely controlled systems of battery-driven mining machinery. Watch the video here!
In addition to the conference, an essential part of the event was an exhibition, where different enterprises and state institutions (particularly the geological surveys of Finland and Scandinavian countries) demonstrated their research, equipment and future plans. Our delegation had fruitful discussions with manufacturers and operators of boring machines, sellers of analytical instruments and naturally, with representatives of geological surveys of neighbouring countries. From Estonia, there were representatives also from Biotatec OÜ and Tallinn University of Technology.
Another highlight of the journey was a visit to the mining complex of Terrafame in Sotkamo. As a mine it is a rather typical open pit, but from the point of ore processing it is a unique complex. The ore is piled up in heaps and metals (nickel, zinc, copper, cobalt) are leached with the help of bacteria and an acidic solution. Exotermic oxidation of iron sulphides ensures the thermal balance of the heaps, making it possible that a biochemical process can take place in near-arctic circumstances. Sulphides of metals are produced from the solution. A battery chemical plant is under construction, forming a considerable proportion of the plan on battery resources in Finland. Such a process of production and the planned value chain of material are unique in the world context.
*Fennoscandia—the geologically united region of Scandinavia, Finland and Kola peninsula. The concept of “shield” is used for characterizing a geologically unified portion of ancient crust of the Earth, formed principally of igneous and metamorphic rocks.
