Description

Nordkalk group is the leading producer of limestone-based products in northern Europe. Limestone-based products are used in many industrial sectors, agriculture and environmental care, such as water treatment. The company has operations in nine countries and at more than 30 locations. Nordkalk Corporation (Oy Ab), the parent company, operates in Finland, excavating limestone (calcite) at nine locations. The largest of the mines are the quarries in Pargas and Lappeenranta, as well as the underground mine in Tytyri, Lohja. Lappeenranta, Pargas and Tytyri represent a total of 90 per cent of Nordkalk’s limestone production in Finland. In addition to limestone, Nordkalk also excavates wall rock and, in Lappeenranta, wollastonite. All three mines have been in operation for longer than one hundred years. In addition to mining, Nordkalk also produces burnt and slaked lime, which is not addressed by this report. Nordkalk is part of the Finnish Rettig Group.

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Toiminta-alue: Lappeenranta, Pargas and Tytyri

Yhteystiedot vastuullisuusasioissa:

Anne Foley
first name.last name@nordkalk.com
Phone +358 (0)20 753 7101

The company in figures in 2015

• Tuotantomäärä: Nordkalk Finland, a total of 2.6 million tonnes of limestone: Lappeenranta 0.8, Pargas 1.3 and Tytyri 0.24 million tonnes of limestone
• Kokonaislouhinta: 3.97 million tonnes (ore 66%, wall rock 34%)
• Raportoidut malmivarat: Unreported
• Raportoidut mineraalivarannot: Unreported
• Toiminnan aloitusvuosi: 1897 (Tytyri), 1898 (Pargas), 1910 (Lappeenranta)
• Kaivoksen arvioitu jäljellä oleva elinikä: Lappeenranta: more than 50 years, Pargas: 20 to 30 years, and Tytyri: 30 to 50 years
• Kaivosalueen pinta-ala: Lappeenranta: 412 hectares, Pargas: 254.4 hectares and Tytyri: 94 hectares
• Malminetsintäalueen pinta-ala: Nordkalk Finland: 71.5 hectares
• Omien työntekijöiden määrä: Nordkalk Finland: 405
• Työntekijöiden pääasialliset asuinkunnat: Pargas: 35%, Lappeenranta: 34%, Lohja: 18%, Turku: 13%
• Vakituisten urakoitsijoiden määrä: Lappeenranta: 28, Pargas: 15 and Tytyri: 10
• Käyttökate EBITDA: EUR 13.6 million
• Maksettu yhteisövero: EUR 1,471

About exploration

The company has valid claims and exploration permits amounting to 71.5 hectares (numbering 2):. 31.1 hectares in Salo (Kisko and Suvisilta) and in Siikainen (Hirvijärvi) 40.4 hectares. In exploration, Nordkalk makes use of geological mapping data, geophysical measurements and deep drilling. Nordkalk also carried out exploration for ore in the vicinity of the mines in order to explore the ore body. A total of 3.300 m of deep drilling was carried out in 2015. No permits concerning the exploration areas are subject to appeal in the exploration area.

Environment

Yrityksen ympäristökäytannöt:

• Location in a nature reserve*: yes
• Environmental management system exists**: yes
• An environmental impact assessment required (in accordance with the EIA Act), only in Lappeenranta: yes
• Measurements of dust: yes
• Measurements of noise: yes
• Measurements of vibration: yes
• Environmental impact assessment completed
• Deviations from the environmental permit (2015): no
• Environmental collateral exists: yes
• Closure plan for the mine exists: yes
• Plan for the shutdown of the mine in unexpected situations: yes

* Pargas: The old lime quarries in the area (a longish formation of quarries) have been classified as a Natura 2000 protection area, one corner of which overlaps (< 1ha) with the mining concession. **Certified in accordance with the 14001 standard, also applied to contractors

Keskeiset tunnusluvut:

Lappeenranta

• Amount of wall rock: 454,797 t, tailings: 168,495 t
• Utilisation of wall rock: 151% (0t dumped for later use)
• Utilisation of wall rock: 6% (158,386t dumped for later use)
• Fuel consumption: 8.3GWh (with non-renewable fuels amounting to 100%)
• Other energy consumption (electricity and heat): electricity 21.0GWh (of which the proportion of renewable energy is 30%, non-renewable 51%, and the source remaining unknown 19%)
• Water consumption: 0.05 million m3 A volume of 1.6 million m3 water is led to the area, and an equal volume is returned to nature. The processing plant uses a volume of about 6 million m3 of process water in a closed circuit.
• Number of dams in the mining area: 1 (Class 2)
• Number of known endangered species appearing in the operational area: 4 plant species
• Usage of chemicals dangerous to the environment: 0 kg

Personnel and safety

Yrityksen henkilöstökäytännöt:

• Employee initiative programme exists: yes
• Goal and development dialogue programme covering the entire personnel: yes
• Personnel training plan: yes
• Equality plan: yes
• Personnel representation in company management: no
• Occupational and safety management system*: yes
• All personnel working in the area are in possession of an occupational health card: yes
• Company rescue unit: yes

* Certified in accordance with the OHSAS 18001 standard, which is also applied to contractors

Keskeiset tunnusluvut vuonna:

2015

• Average number of training days per year: 1.5 days / employee
• Absence due to sickness (excluding contractors): 2.6%
• Lost-time injury frequency rate: Nordkalk NEE Finland 1, Nordkalk Group 7 / million hours worked
• Working time systems: 1-shift system, 2-shift system, 3-shift system, 8-hour working day system, flexitime, working day system, 6:4 system, uninterrupted 2-shift system

Impact on the use of the neighbouring areas and the sources of livelihood

Vaikutukset paikallisiin elinkeinoihin: No mining and exploration are carried out in the reindeer management area. The mine provides direct and indirect employment to local people, either as contractors or service providers. In connection with the mines, business activities are conducted in the old mining premises. There are, for example, museums and restaurants, and elevator technology is developed. Mining operations have been carried out for more than one hundred years, so the mining areas have become part of the local community.

Vaikutukset lähialueen virkistyskäyttöön:

According to the assessment of the company itself, its mining activities have not impacted negatively on the recreational use of the neighbouring areas. The company has repaired a vantage point, enabled the operation of a mining museum, and organising of concerts in the mining area.

Vaikutukset maisema-arvoon:

Landscape values have been taken into account in the operations of the company. The company seeks to sell all wall rock in order to avoid its being dumped The dumped wall rock is landscaped in accordance with the environmental permit during mining. As requested by authorities, certain areas have been left unlandscaped to enable calciphilous flora and fauna to populate the new habitats that have emerged in the area.

Underground mines where excavation is terminated are put to good use by filling them with boiler ash supplied by customers, thereby decreasing the need for dumping ash on the surface. The company has carried out one replanting (Vimpeli in 2012, field gentian). In Lappeenranta, an environmental impact assessment was carried out in 2012 and 2013 on the possible expansion of dumping areas. If carried out, the project would impact the landscape.

Interaction with stakeholders

Sidosryhmäyhteistyö:

• Regular meetings with city representatives
• Neighbours’ evenings, open-door events (European Minerals Day), and visits for pupils and students
• Summer and training jobs for pupils and students
• The company supports various local associations and events/campaigns
• A channel for stakeholders for providing feedback exists, including practices for the processing of such feedback
• The most important channels of the company for stakeholder communication are the local paper, annual report, website, letters and events (open-door days and visits)

Tutkimus- ja yhteistyöhankkeet:

• The BSAG commitment for the reduction of the phosphorous load
• Recovery of phosphorus from agricultural runoff water using calcium filters (in collaboration with Pyhäjärvi Institute)
• Operations models for the anticipation of acidity and risk management in peat production areas (the Sulfa II project)
• Intelligent Mine Water Management project (iMineWa), a TEKES project
• Reduction of the strain on water systems caused by acidic sulphate soils (Precikem II)
• Recovery and stockpiling of carbon dioxide (CCSP/CLIC)