New service contract in action in only six weeks

In the freezing temperature of -40°C, Tapojärvi Sverige Ab started its operations as a new contractor at the Kaunis Iron mine in Pajala on 1 January at 5 a.m.

“The contract began as agreed. Rock was quarried and water splashed around. We worked long hours to get everything ready in time. The great thing about being a major operator is that we are able to take over a service package of this scale in only six weeks,” Miika Miettinen, Production Manager at Tapojärvi, describes the start of production.

The service contract with Kaunis Iron covers machine work in ore production as well as production support work, which includes all opencast production activities other than rock transportation, drilling and charging.

The start of a new service contract requires new personnel and equipment to carry out production in line with the contract. Additionally, production control systems, infrastructure, offices, and production facilities as well as maintenance services are needed. A mining contractor must also consider safety at every step of production.

“Orientation, training, revision of the old and learning of the new. At the start of production, everything is new, and the processes have yet to be fully established. It has been roughly two weeks since the launch and we are now developing our routines,” says Miettinen.

Online data to boost production

The operations required by the Pajala contract were set going in only six weeks. By any standards, this is a noticeably short period of time for preparation. Approximately 60 new employees were recruited, and additional personnel were borrowed from other Tapojärvi sites.

Miettinen highlights the professional mindset of his employer, skilled and committed personnel and new equipment as Tapojärvi’s strengths. These factors enable Tapojärvi to respond quickly to the client’s needs.

“We were forced to let the production stand idle when the temperature dropped low in early January. There were also some struggles involving the machinery. Despite everything, our operations have been launched successfully and the client has been happy with our performance,” Miettinen continues.

To support its operations, Tapojärvi has developed processes and systems that are constantly collecting online production data. Data and analytics help enhance Tapojärvi’s performance in every respect, improve safety, and anticipate, for example, the equipment’s need for maintenance.

“We are able to provide the client with comprehensive and complex production data, which allows us to influence the mine’s operations and performance together with the client. I am glad that our cooperation with Kaunis Iron has gone smoothly from the very beginning and that we are already involved in developing the operations.”

Continuous recruitment and training of multi-skilled employees

The service contract with Kaunis Iron is Tapojärvi Sverige’s first major opencast mine contract in Sweden. The company has previously worked in underground mines on the sites of LKAB and Zinkgruvan, for example.

In Finland, Tapojärvi has decades’ worth of experience in working at opencast and underground mines.

“Today, Tapojärvi is also a familiar name at Swedish mines and operators trust our way of working. We are still looking to expand our operations especially in northern Sweden,” says Mari Pilventö, CEO of Tapojärvi Sverige Ab.

Currently, Tapojärvi Sverige has nearly 100 employees. In total, Tapojärvi Group employs approximately 800 people.

“For the Pajala contract, we hired many new experts from Norrbotten and northern Finland. They are multi-skilled employees who can work different types of jobs. This allows us to react quickly to absences and reduce their impact on production, for example. Furthermore, we are constantly training and educating our employees,” says Pilventö.

Although most of the permanent positions have already been filled in Pajala, there is always need for more talent. Right now, there is a shortage of maintenance experts.

“We are constantly accepting applications on our website. In the second half of February, we will open an office in the centre of Pajala and accept applications there as well.”

Located at Tornadalsvägen 12, the office will be open on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We are proud of our personnel, who have given one hundred per cent to ensure this project will succeed. Everyone has been working with a smile on their face despite the long hours. We have had a great team for the launch of our operations in Pajala and we intend to continue the production with the same mindset also in the future.”