Finnish Mining Industry in International Comparison

Finland has a long tradition in mining industry. In the beginning of the 20th century all the rich ores of world class were discovered: copper ores in Outokumpu, nickel ores in Pechenga, Kola Peninsula (present Pechenga Nickel, subsidiary of Norilsk Group in Russia).
These deposits constituted the basis for a vivid and technically innovative smelting industry with centres in Kokkola and Harjavalta among others. In these plants new processes like the flash smelting method, in which copper can be extracted from sulphide ore with excellent energy economy, were developed and became the world’s leading ones. Later the development has been expanded, and nowadays the mining equipment industry constitutes a more important economic part than the whole mining industry in Finland.
The Finnish mining industry has, however, undergone a distinct transformation process in recent years. Fifteen years ago domestic players accounted for extensive ore exploration, much of it with support from government agencies and the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK). Such exploration for ore has now virtually ceased and in due course also nearly all mining operations, roles that have largely been taken over by foreign companies. For a summary of the growth since 1950, see figure 1.


There has always been lack of capital in the Finnish mining industry and the state’s influence has been great. For decades Outokumpu, controlled by the state, was the leading mining and technology company. Like the Swedish LKAB, Outokumpu functioned just like any private company but had the advantage of a long term engaged owner. In the past years Outokumpu has partly been privatised and left the mining branch, apart from the Kemi chrome mine connecting to the newly built steelworks in Tornio. Instead, numerous bigger and smaller companies -both domestic and foreign- have taken the initiative in the Finnish exploration and mining industry.
Zinc, copper, nickel and chrome ores are produced in Finland. From a European perspective Finland is one of the leading mining countries. The products from the past few years are shown in the table 1. However, it is the industrial minerals, minerals that are not used for production of pure metals such as dolomite, limestone, talc and other minerals, which nowadays constitute the main part of the Finnish mining industry. Finland is the biggest producer of talc in Europe and one of the most important resources of carbonates which are used e.g. as pigment in paper industry. The apatite production for manufacturing fertilisers is extensive and the Siilinjärvi mine is by far the biggest in Finland.

Table 1. Mining production in Finland. Source: the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

Metal/mineral	2006	2007	2008
METALLIC MINES	6	8	9
- tonnes (million tonnes)	3,6	3,7	6,3
CARBONATE MINES	17	16	16
- tonnes (million tonnes)	4,3	4,4	4,6
INDUSTRIAL MINERAL MINES	22	23	20
- tonnes (million tonnes)	11,9	12,1	11,3
TOTAL NUMBER OF MINES	45	47	45
- tonnes (million tonnes)	19,8	20,2	22,2

The potential to find new ores from the so called Fennoscandian shield is considered to be good, especially as the Finnish bedrock has not been explored enough meaning that there has been less money invested in the exploration per square kilometre than in any other comparible district anywhere in the world over time.
In the past years the exploration in Finland has been relatively constant and high level differing from the global trend which went downwards until 2003 and changed direction after that. Finland is the leading exploration country in Scandinavia. In 2007 over 54 million EUR was explored in Finland. See figures 2 and 3.





A list of mining and exploration companies operating in Finland. Source: Geological Survey of Finland.
The list of the active exploration companies is long. The materials that are in the focus of the interest are: diamonds, gold, PGE (platinum group elements), zinc and nickel in addition to exploring uranium. Besides the industrial minerals, talc and limestone are searched, too.

A list of current projects and discoveries in Finland. Source: Geological Survey of Finland.
The conditions for exploration and mining operations are strongly competitive in Finland when compared to other mineral rich countries in Europe but also including Canada and Australia. In Finland, landowners already receive a certain compensation in the exploration stage. This has made public attitude towards the branch positive. The mining industry is one of the few alternatives for economic development in many parts of the land.
There is work going on to modernise the Finnish mining legislation and to renew the handling of the exploration and mining licences. Some propositions for the new administrational routines among the exploration work have leaked out, for example increasing information demands to landowners. These proposals have been paid a certain amount of attention, but the fact is that even if they go through -which is still unclear- the climate for exploration and mining operations in Finland is, overall, highly competitive internationally. And there is probably a lot that remains to be discovered.

Waikato Coal Mining

Waikato Coal Mining Term 1, 21 - 23 March
The Waikato mines of Rotowaro opencast and East underground are nationally important in ways few realise. Read Donald's Diary of his Rotowaro visit to understand why this is so. Get thequestions from the Y11 Geographers at John McGlashan College and then listen to theaudioconference (5.08mb mp3 file) direct to class, from 186m below the surface in East mine.Watch the video of travelling (9.20mb wmv file ) in a Toyota 4WD into the mine or one of the shorter videos about how modern mining is done - such as supporting the roof (5.99mb wmv file) without timber.

Donald is dwarfed by a Komatsu 730e mining truck at Rotowaro opencast coal mine. Image: Heurisko Ltd.

Field Trip: coalmining71
Diary #: 2
Date: 21/03/2007

Hi Everybody
Another glorious autumn day, after we drove out of the fog hugging the Waikato River. It was only a ten minute drive to the mine offices and we immediately met up with Mike Hall, Production geologist here at Rotowaro opencast.

We were keen to get out and about in the mine so headed off promptly. However before Mike had his 4Wd ute in second gear we were stopped alongside an intriguing piece of rusty machinery. It was 1960's technology that had been buried for almost 35 years. Called a Samson it was heavy, tracked and small. On the top front edge a strong 2m long metal bar once swung in a horizontal plane. Along its edge were the remains of hardened cutting teeth like a brutish chainsaw. Mike added,' With the bar cutting a 2cm line in the coal less explosive was needed, when using the old drill and blast technique. It's electrically driven by 430V DC. Considering we found it buried in then opencast pit it surprising what bits still moves on it'.

Within another 100m we had another chance encounter. A massive rock truck was being serviced. It was capable of carrying 200 tonnes of overburden rock at once and we could walk under it without ducking. Under its belly we could see the huge diesel motor which drove a ship sized generator. This in turn drove hydraulic pumps and electric motors in each rear wheel. There were 8 of these Komatsu 730E trucks at work here today. To me this truck also explained why the Samson had been abandoned underground, for even though the two were from different era it was a example of massive technological change.

We drove high above the Awaroa 4 pit on groomed 30m wide haul roads then bumped up 4Wd tracks. Our aim was to get as high as possible for our first audioconference with Ashburton Borough School.. As we chatted about 12 truck drivers finished smoko and their trucks headed off together like some slow race between giant snails. Even 1km away I could spot the bigger overburden trucks. When you recall that rock is denser than coal, their bigger size shows the need to economically remove overburden. About 10 or 12 times the thickness of overburden is the limit. For example a 4m thick seam with overburden greater than 48m is too unprofitable.

During our second audioconference we mysteriously lost reception and only by Mike balancing on top of a rock was it returned. We lost 3 questions too but decided we would make these into videos for the guys at Gisborne Boys High.

We bumped our way down, then floated along the haulroad. Parking well clear of anything big we tumble out. Mike explained the view in front, ' There are 9 seams of coal here and they do not follow each other. On top there are 3 Renown coal seams, in the middle 2 Kupakupa seams and beneath 4 Taupiri seams. That 'No Entry' sign is to stop trucks driving across an old underground stone drive - that's where the miners tunnelled from one coal seam to another through rock. You can see the wire ropes, railway sleepers and timber props they used sticking out. Over here they are back in the coal. See how the stone drive has collapsed but the stronger coal is still standing in an arch. If you are in coal stay in the coal is the trick when tunnelling'.

Behind us interburden was being loaded in five easy, 40 tonnes swings onto a truck by a digger weighing 400 tonnes. Behind this a digger half that weight was delicately removing rocks from the roof of a seam. With the overburden this would be dumped into old pits, landscaped, drained, top soiled and planted with native plants or pine forest.

As the coal seam dipped to one side we could see overburden removal and coal excavation happening side by side. Back by the ute Mike showed us how to identify the high quality of the coal in a seam 4m thick. It was hard, black, brittle, shiny sub-bituminous coal. 'Every kilogram will give 22 000 000 joules of energy' he added with a smile.

We followed 500m behind a truck as it carried the coal to a giant hopper. Within 30 seconds truck and hopper were empty. The truck was off to get more coal and the hopper spilt its contents steadily into a rotary breaker. As the name suggest it rotates and breaks the coal up into pieces,110mm or smaller. Before the coal can head away on a conveyor belt to the stockpiles wooden props, sleepers and rocks are separated by the rotary breaker. Also a massive magnet removes steel rails, roof bolts and lost mining equipment. Any of this foreign material would quickly wreck a customers gear.

To ensure the quality of the coal leaving the mine any 'dirty' coal is washed in a washery. Here coal is floated apart from rocks and sulfur compounds in surging, bubbling water. Only 20 percent of Awaroa 4 coal needs to be treated in this way.

Now the coal headed along a kilometre of conveyors and automated arms swept it into piles, depending on the ash content. The arms are operated by a radioactive sensor that automatically determines that ash content. Finally the 8 stockpiles are ready to be blended to give the customer the best individual product for their task.

Looking over the road and rail head Mike added, ' Each year we send 1 000 000 tonnes by road to the Huntly thermal power station, 400 000 tonnes by rail to NZ Steel at Glenbrook, and about 50 000 tonnes by road to meat works, horticulturalists, cement works, lime works and board mills'. When I saw how the coal was leaving Rotowaro I realised the importance of Mike's job, namely making sure that tomorrow it could all be done again.

Thanks for a great day Mike
Cheers and see you tomorrow when we go underground in East mine
Donald

Competition clues
1.I am the biggest user of Rotowaro mine coal
2.I was opened in 1983
3.I supply electricity to all NZ

Just near the Rotowaro mine offices we inspect an underground mining relic recently unearthed

Donald standing beside a 730e Komatsu rock hauling truck

The same truck as the image above but next to an excavator removing overburden

Mike Hall answers the mining questions from Gisborne Boys High.

Part of the Awaroa 4 pit from the audioconference site

"In the bottom of the Awaroa 4 pit removing the interburden, right down to the next coal seam"

Excavating coal from the Awaroa 4 pit and loading it for transport to the rail and road head 

"Mike explaining to me what to look for in good quality coal, as we stand by a 4m thick seam."

"Tipping the coal into the hopper above the rotary breaker, before it is sorted by ash content."

The previous image is taken on the green distant terrace. The coal is automatically sorted by its ash content.

Field Trip: coalmining71
Diary #: 2

Tsentrifugaalpumba käivitamine ja pumbajaama juhtimine

http://www.ene.ttu.ee/elektriajamid/oppeinfo/AAR5420/pump33.html 
3.3 Tsentrifugaalpumba käivitamine ja pumbajaama juhtimine
3.3.1 Tsentrifugaalpumba käivitamine
Pump käivitatakse tavaliselt rez^iimil, mil ta vajab mootorilt kõige vähem võimsust – tühijooksul. Tsentrifugaalpumbal on vähim võimsus nullvooluhulga korral. See tähendab, et käivitamisel peaks pumba survetoru siiber olema kinni. Sel juhul on vaja juhtida survetoru siibrit. Tegelikult on kolm võimalust:

• pump käivitatakse avatud siibriga (enamasti siis kui pole hüdraulilise löögi ohtu)
• pumba käivitamisega koos hakatakse avama ka siibrit
• pump käivitatakse, kontrollitakse, et survetorus on tekkinud surve ja siis avatakse siiber

Joon. 3.3.1. Tsentrifugaalpumba skeem [1]

1 – tööratas 2 – töörattalaba 3 – spiraalkamber 4 – imitoru 5 – põhjaklapp 6 – imikurn 7 – difuusor 8 – siiber 9 – survetoru 10 – täitmisava 11 – tihendiveejuhe (kõrgsurvepumpadel) 12 – võllitihend

Pump ja selle imitoru tuleb enne käivitamist täita veega. Selleks on väiksematel pumpadel spiraalkambri kõrgeimas punktis vastav ava 10 (joon. 3.3.1), imitoru alumises otsa on aga põhjaklapp 5. Et põhjaklapi voolutakistus on suur, siis suurtel pumpadel seda ei kasutata ja imitoru täidetakse vaakumpumba abil. Üha enam kasutatakse sukelpumpasid, mis töötavad pumbatava vedeliku sees. Nii pole töökamber kunagi tühi ning nad ei vaja imitoru, põhjaklappi ega vaakumpumpa.
3.3.2 Pumba juhtimine
Veevarustussüsteemis peab veetarbimise (vooluhulga) muutumisel olema võimalik pumpa(sid) automaatselt sisse ja välja lülitada. Kui süsteemis on hulk eraldipaiknevaid pumbajaamu, on tavaliselt vaja kaugjuhtimist. Automaatika peab tagama ka avariikaitse, näiteks ruumi uputamisel, mahutite ületäitumisel, masinate rikete korral jne.
Lihtsamas veevarustussüsteemis on kasutusel mahutid, millest vesi raskusjõuga täidab torustiku. Kasutatakse ka hüdrofoore – survemahuteid, millest umbes 2/3 on täidetud õhuga ja 1/3 veega.
Veevarustussüsteemi juhtimisseadmete paigutus on kujutatud joonisel 3.3.2.
Vee olemasolu pumbas (et ei käivitataks kuiva pumpa) kontrollib veerelee 8. Samasugune (11) peaks olema kasutusel ka pumbajaama põrandal võimaliku üleujutuse tuvastamiseks. See annab signaali dispets^erile ja/või lülitab pumba välja. Lihtsaima veerelee ehitus selgub jooniselt 3.3.3, a: torusse tungiv vesi surub ketta vastu kummitihendit ning sulgeb varda otsas olevad kontaktid.
Käivituse edukust kontrollitakse siibri ees oleva survereleega 7. Kui torustikus on tekkinud surve, annab relee signaali siibri avamiseks, kui seda pole, siis pumbamootori väljalülitamiseks.
 

Joon. 3.3.2. Pumba(jaama) juhtimisseadmed [2]

1 – asünkroonmootor 2 – tsentrifugaalpump 3 – veemagistraal 4 – siibri elektriajam 5 – siibri elektromagnetiline ajam 6 – tagasivooluklapp 7 – surverelee 8 – veerelee 9 – kulumõõtja 10 – nivoorelee 11 – üleujutusrelee

Lihtsaimal juhul on survereleena kasutusel kontaktmanomeeter (joon. 3.3.3, b). Sellel on kaks seatavat kontakti – üks maksimaalsele, teine minimaalsele survele. Nende kontaktidega saab valida survet, mille juures siiber avatakse või mille juures pump lülitatakse välja (hüdrofoori kasutamisel on kontaktmanomeeter kasutusel pumba sisse- ja väljalülitamiseks). Veenivood paagis kontrollib nivooandur (joon. 3.3.3, c). Ülemise nivoo juures annavad ühed kontaktid väljalülitussignaali, alumise nivoo saavutamisel teised sisselülitamissignaali.
 

a)	b)	c)
Joon. 3.3.3. Pumbajaamas kasutatavad andurid: a – veerelee, b – kontaktmanomeeter,  c – nivooandur

Pumbajaamas on üldjuhul mitu pumpa, mida juhitakse vastavalt vajadusele valitava algoritmi järgi. Anduriteks võib olla mitu nivooandurit või ka kulumõõtja. Viimasel juhul on võimalik sujuv reguleerimine.
Joonisel 3.3.4 on esitatud pumba käivituse juhtimise ja siibri avamise releeskeem [2].
 

Joon. 3.3.4. Pumba käivitamise (a) ja siibri juhtimise (b) releeskeem

PP – nivoorelee kontakt PY – automaatjuhtimise relee L  – liinikontaktor (jõuahelaid ei näidata) BP – veerelee PB1 – ajarelee PD– surverelee PA1 – mootori avarii-väljalülituse relee PA2 – siibriajami avarii-väljalülituse relee KO – siibriavamise kontaktor KBO – siibri avatud asendi lõpplüliti K3 – siibrisulgemise kontaktor KB3 – siibri suletud asendi lõpplüliti PM1 – mootori maksimaalvoolurelee PM2 – siibri ajami maksimaalvoolurelee PB2 – siibriahela ajarelee BPA – avarii-(üleujutus-)relee

Lülituse kohaselt toimub pumba sisse- ja väljalülitamine reservuaari veenivoo järgi. Kui nivoo langeb valitud alampiirini sulgub nivoorelee kontakt P P  ja annab toite automaatjuhtimise relee PY mähisele. Kui pump on veega täidetud, siis veerelee BP kontakt on suletud ning rakendub liinikontaktor L . Samaaegselt saab toite ajarelee PB1 ning käivitab kellamehhanismi, mille seatud aeg on veidi pikem kui vajab pump normaalseks käivituseks. Käivituse lõpul peab pump arendama piisavat survet, et rakenduks surverelee PDning tema kontakt (NB! Selle ja kolme tema all asuva kontakti tähis on kirjutatud kontakti alla!) katkestaks mootori avarii-väljalülituse relee PA1 toiteahela. Seega on kindlustatud, et liinikontaktor L ei lülitu välja enne kui on lõppenud ajareleel PB1 seatud aeg. Surverelee PDteine kontakt (skeemi b-osal) lülitab sisse siibriavamise kontaktori KO. Kui siiber on täielikult avatud katkestab siibri avatud asendi lõpplüliti KBO kontaktori KO toite. Pump töötab siis täisjõudlusega.
Skeemil on ka kaitsefunktsioon. Oluline on maksimaalvoolukaitse. Kui näiteks pumpa satub mingi tahke keha võib see sattuda tööratta labade vahele ning selle kinni kiiluda. Suure elektrilise ülekoormuse korral sulgub mootori maksimaalvoolurelee PM1 kontakt ning relee PA1 lahutab liinikontaktori L ahela. Sama toimub ka pumbamaja üleujutuse korral, kui rakendub avarii-(üleujutus-)relee BPA. Samamoodi rakendub näiteks siibri ajami kinnikiilumise korral maksimaalvoolurelee PM2 kontakt ning relee PA2 lülitab sisse, kui siibri ajamile ajareleega PB2 lubatud aeg on möödas, siibrisulgemise kontaktori K3 valmistades pumba ette uueks käivituseks.
3.3.3 Arukas pumba juhtimine ja monitooring
Tänapäeva pumbajuhtimine toimub tavaliselt mikroprotsessorseadmega. Näiteks võib tuua seadet SARLIN PumpManager 2000. See on rahvusvaheliselt patenteeritud kaugjuhtimis- ja monitooringuseade (Intelligent Remote Pump Control and Monitoring) [3], mis toimib 24 tundi ööpäevas: kontrollib nivood ning juhib pumpa sagedusmuunduriga või ilma selleta nii, et hoolduskulud ning keskkonna saaste (!) oleks minimaalne.
PM2000 on konstrueeritud spetsiaalselt pumbajaama tarbeks. Ta kogub ja töötleb infot pumba jõudluse, vooluhulga, mootorivoolu ja pumba töötundide kohta. Süsteem annab soovi korral erineva sisu ja tasemega alarmi ning ka infot pumpade seisundist.
Võimalik on ette anda pumpade tööaja ja -järjekorra (mis töötab, mis on kuumas reservis jne.)
Seade annab alarmi pumba rikke ja pumba võimsuse muutuse korral, alarm võib olla kaheastmeline. Alarm antakse liigvoolu korral, isolatsioonitakistuse vähenemisel ja tihendi lekke korral (kui vesi hakkab tungima pumba ja mootori vahele).
Monitooringuga on haaratud pumba tööaeg, pumba käivitused, vooluhulk, mootorivool, pumbatud vee kogus, tarbitud energia, isolatsioonitakistus, tihendi seisund, vedeliku nivoo (väljalülitus-, käivitus-, teise pumba käivitus-, madal, kõrge, ületäitumine).
Võimalik on seada pumpade käivitus- ja väljalülitusaega, automaatse tühjendamise intervalli muda settimise vältimiseks, arvutada pumpade rööptöö aega, arvestada energiakulu, juhtida siibreid jne.
Sisuliselt on see programmeeritav kontroller, millest saab ettekujutuse jooniselt 3.3.5 [3]. Nivooanduriks on piesoelement tundlikkusega veesamba kõrgusele 0 ... 5 m. Võimalik on kasutada 6 analoog- ja 8 digitaalsisendit ning 8 relee- ja 1 analoogväljundit. Kasutajaliidesel on 6 valgusdioodi pumba seisundi ja alarmi näitamiseks, 2x16-märgiline vedelkristallnäidik, 16 klahviga klaviatuur, kasutajasõbralik menüükäskudega tarkvara, paroolkaitse, MODBUS-protokolliga RS232 jadaport. Töötab reaalajas, mida mõõdab kell. Puhvermälu salvestab 7 päeva sündmused.
Valikuliselt on võimalik faasikaotuse kaitse, sideliini modem, telefonivõrgu modem või raadiomodem, isolatsioonitakistuse ja mootorit pumbast eraldava õli kvaliteedi monitooring. Võimalik on ka nivooultrahelianduri või kahejuhtmelise surveanduri kasutamine.

Joon. 3.3.5. SARLIN PumpManager 2000 tüüpne ühenduskeem
KIRJANDUST

1. A. Maastik, H. Haldre, T. Koppel, L. Paal. Hüdraulika ja pumbad. Tartu: Greif, 1995.
   467 lk.
2. Kljuts^ev V. I., Terehov V. M. Elektroprivod i avtomatizatsija obs^ts^sepromõs^lennõh mehanizmov. — Moskva: Energia, 1980. 360 s.
3. SARLIN PumpManager 2000. Intelligent Remote Pump Control And Monitoring. —
   27 April 1999. 4 p.