Talvivaara Invests More than EUR 13 Million in Environmental Technology
Stock Exchange Release
Talvivaara Mining Company Plc
24 April 2012
Talvivaara Invests More than EUR 13 Million in Environmental Technology
Highlights
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New technologies to improve the quality of effluent waters, reduce odour emissions into surrounding areas and limit dust emissions
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The investments include reverse osmosis technology to improve the quality of effluent waters and a catalytic burning unit to treat hydrogen sulphide odour-generating gases
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Talvivaara is also building a water recycling system and drilled wells to reduce water intake from nearby lakes
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Dust emissions will be reduced by a new dust removal system at the materials handling screening hall
Talvivaara Mining Company Plc ("Talvivaara" or the "Company") has signed a contract with the Dutch company Lenntech BV for delivery of a reverse osmosis-based water treatment system. The facility will cost EUR 4 million and it will be commissioned by the end of November 2012. The system consists of two production lines, each with a purified effluent output of 70 m3/h, and an additional contractual option for a third line. The choice of technology and scaling of the facility followed the promising results of pilot testing conducted with Teollisuuden Vesi Oy.
Talvivaara has also entered into a contract with the Finnish technology company Formia Emissions Control Oy for the delivery of a catalytic burning unit, primarily designed to eliminate odour emissions. The unit will cost EUR 4 million and it will be commissioned by the end of 2012. The investment is part of Talvivaara's own target to reduce odour emissions at and around the minesite. Effectiveness of the technology has been verified with a pilot plant. In addition to reducing emissions and odours, the commissioning of the Formia Smart burning unit will enable Talvivaara to reduce the consumption of chemicals currently used in the process in an energy-efficient manner.
Permit limits for emissions proposed by the Company achievable ahead of schedule
In addition to the investments detailed above, over the past year Talvivaara has increased the recycling of process waters within the minesite and initiated construction of drilled wells at the open pit mine. The drilled wells reduce the need for water intake from surrounding lakes. The drilled well-system and water recycling will reach full scale and scope by the end of May 2012. The cost of these investments totals EUR 3.1 million.
As a result of the measures taken in 2011-2012, Talvivaara has already significantly reduced the sulphate and manganese content in effluent waters. The new water treatment investments will further considerably reduce the levels of sodium, sulphate and manganese in effluent waters by the end of 2012. The lower permit limits proposed by the Company for 2015 will hence be achievable already in early 2013. Further development measures to improve the water balance of the mine will also continue following the investments announced today.
Reduced dust emissions from materials handling
Additionally, in June 2012 Talvivaara will initiate the implementation of a new dust removal system in the materials handling screening hall, following which screening hall dust emissions will decline to below 10 mg/m3 during 2012. The cost of the investment will be EUR 2 million.
All of these initiated and partially already completed investments are part Talvivaara's environmental improvement strategy announced in January 2012. More information on the Company's sustainability targets and improvement measures are detailed in Talvivaara's 2011 Annual Report, corporate website and on the Finnish language environmental website www.paikanpaalla.fi.
Enquiries:
Talvivaara Mining Company Plc Tel: +358 20 7129 800
Harri Natunen, Chief Executive Officer as of 26 April 2012
Kari Vyhtinen, Chief Investment Officer
Veli-Matti Hilla, Environmental Manager
Talvivaara Mining Company Plc
Talvivaara Mining Company is an internationally significant base metals producer with its primary focus on nickel and zinc using a technology known as bioheapleaching to extract metals out of ore. Bioheapleaching makes extraction of metals from low grade ore economically viable. The Talvivaara deposits comprise one of the largest known sulphide nickel resources in Europe. The ore body is estimated to support anticipated production for several decades. Talvivaara has secured a 10-year off-take agreement for 100 per cent of its main output of nickel and cobalt to Norilsk Nickel and entered into a long-term zinc streaming agreement with Nyrstar NV. Talvivaara is listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market and NASDAQ OMX Helsinki and is included in the FTSE 250 index. Further information can be found at www.talvivaara.com.
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