Talga, Niska trial mine 2021
Talga Group is building a European battery anode supply chain using 100% renewable electricity and natural materials – to produce anode products for greener lithium-ion batteries. In Sweden, Talga owns and runs the Vittangi Graphite Project (high grade graphite deposits) – the largest graphite resources in Europe – planned to be the source for vertically integrated battery anode production.
In September-October 2021 a minor trial mine project was performed by Talga in Niska, located in the Vittangi area, approx. 130 km north of the Arctic circle. Approximately 2200 tonnes of premium graphite were extracted successfully.
A-metodik provided Project Management and site supervision for the Niska trial mine operations. The responsibility included an initial “road-map” where necessary activities were identified, a project plan and a trial mine budget were made and presented for the Talga board. After the board decision to go-ahead with the trial mine, A-metodik provided support with procurement of a contractor (recommendation of type of contract, incl. contractual documentation), risk analysis and safety instructions before start of works, contractor management during operations and daily site supervision at the Niska trial mine. The site supervision organisation was supplied in cooperation with senior mining expertise (IMS Sweden, sub-consultant to A-metodik).
Photo from the trial mine operations in 2021: drill rig preparing blasting (copyright Talga).
Gestamp Hardtech, Luleå, Sweden
Project manager and Safety supervisor of “Disassembly of hot stamping press line”
In Q4 2020, A-metodik Infra AB supported Gestamp Hardtech in the planning and realisation of the project to disassemble a hot stamping press line at the plant in Luleå, Sweden, and prepare it for transport to a plant in Germany where it later was reassembled. During the project phases in Luleå, no major disturbances in the adjacent hot stamping line (with 24-7 production) in the same production facility were allowed.
A -metodik provided a Project Manager with local plant knowledge that was responsible for the planning of Health & Safety arrangements and risk assessments. During the disassembly work, the Project Manager was responsible for daily supervision of Health and Safety. The project included several challenging phases, e.g., opening of the production hall roof, heavy load lifts with an external mobile crane through the roof, daily heavy lifts with an internal bridge crane, disassembly of methanol piping, pressurized tubes etc. The most challenging aspect in the project was the daily coordination with the production in the adjacent hot stamping line in the same building (incl. extensive fork-lift traffic to/from that line). During the project several short, planned breaks in power supply, methanol supply, fire alarm, HVAC was coordinated in the production hall – with a principal objective to minimize effects on regular production.
Notably, the project was performed during the first uncertain year of the Covid-pandemic.
Detailed planning of the disassembly of the hot stamping press line were done by Gestamp Loire (from Spain), e.g., engineering of the disassembly of mechanics, hydraulics, electricity, automation system. Gestamp Loire supplied an experienced Project Team from Spain that performed the disassembly work in Luleå. Due to foreign staff being posted in Sweden during the Covid-restrictions, this fact added extra health and security procedures to the project planning.
Photographs from project.
Copyright, and with permission from: Gestamp Hardtech, Lulea, Sweden.
Markbygden
A-metodik:s assignment included detailed design for earthworks prior to the construction of the wind turbines themselves.
These included: Road design in the area, a total of 130 km, design of total 179 crane stands, drawings and machine control files. With 179 wind turbines in Markbygden MB One, it will be one of Europe’s largest land-based wind farms and it will increase Sweden’s share of wind power by 12.5 percent.
Iron ore port
The ore transports from the mines in northern Sweden and Finland to customers around the world are approaching the capacity ceiling.
The ore line to Narvik is very heavily loaded and the port of Luleå must be given the opportunity to receive larger vessels to provide the industry with reasonable conditions of competition for transport.
With increased production in existing mines in parallel with several new establishments, there is an urgent need for improved sea routes.
Therefore, the “Malmporten” project has been started.
Ore mined in the region is shipped out from Narvik and Luleå to European steelworks. Improved capacity for export via Luleå is the only realistic alternative to accommodate the increased production of the ore fields.
The Luleå project would mean an increase in the summer capacity to vessels carrying about three times more compared to today’s maximum.
Completion of the project means that the port would be able to accommodate vessels of Baltic Maximum size, 15m draft. The project would also give the Port of Luleå an increased export capacity and more efficient goods handling.
A-metodik works with project management and schedules for the project.
Vanadium Recovery Project
Vanadium Recovery Project (VRP), Consulting services
The recovery of metals from by-products in an environmentally friendly manner is very important for Europe. Critical Metals aim to use by-products from SSAB’s steel production and recover high-purity vanadium for use in energy storage solutions and specialty alloys without the need to mine and
process vanadium via traditional methods.
The recovery process will be powered by renewable energy. EU have listed 30 minerals and metals that are critical for our society and vanadium is one of these. Critical Metals have secured a 10-year supply from SSAB with a minimum 2Mt of slag available for purchase to recover vanadium from the slag.
Location option Study
A-metodik were appointed Project Manager and have performed a location option study for the operation (process plant) and by-product in close cooperation with the client and their experts within environmental, permitting, technique and process. Several different locations (possible industrial sites) for the VRP have been studied in Sweden and in Finland. The selection was based on locations close to the source of slag (SSAB) but also other locations that matched the goal/objective (time, environmental, functional and costs) and demands set by the project team.
In the study the preconditions at each site were analyzed, where the most important aspect was the possibility to establish the operations in accordance with a tight time schedule. The assignment also included the responsibility to write consultation documents for the permitting process in Sweden.
In December 2020 Critical Metals announced that Pori in Finland has been selected as the preferred location for the VRP.
Role: Project management, investigations, report (English and Swedish)
Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) – Study
A-metodik have provided consulting services regarding logistic costs for the VRP PFS-study. The assignment was to assist the client with expertise for logistic costs in the PFS-phase. A substantial part of the information needed in the PFS-phase (e.g., bulk prices and logistic costs for chemicals etc) were gathered from stakeholders and actors on the market. The main activities were to assess the available information, perform a GAP-analysis, identify additional information needed and verify data by renewed contacts with stakeholders. Cost accuracy within +/-25 %.
Role: Project management, investigations, report (input to EIA documentation (English)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Permit (EP)
A-metodik have provided support to the VRP project during the EIA and EP processes for the location in Pori. Management support, including the introduction of a road map for permitting and a supporting activity list have been produced to identify risks and possibilities and the way forward for the project.
Role: Project management, investigations, report (input to EIA and EP documentation) (English)
By-Product Management
Project management of a sub-project for the handling of the by-product Stabilized Slag Material (SSM) that remains after production of vanadium pentoxide flakes and sodium sulphate. The scope of work is to identify potential applications for SSM and potential customer/end users for the material. The work also includes contact identified customers to coordinate testing of material and other information that is needed in order to find out if the application is a go or no go.
Role: Project management
