Boliden partners with Hypex Bio for production and delivery of environmentally-friendly explosives

The agreement means that Boliden and Hypex will cooperate on the production and delivery of nitrate-free and environmentally friendly explosives to the Kankberg mine, which includes the establishment of a production facility at the mine as well as a delivery and service agreement. The supply and service agreement for Hypex’s explosives solution spans five years starting in 2024. The production quantity is expected to amount to 400 – 450 t and thus largely meet the Kankberg mine’s annual needs. In addition to the fact that the explosive drastically reduces the need for nitrogen treatment of water, the climate impact is reduced by approximately 400 t of CO₂ per year (Scope 3).

“For us, it is important to be part of technology development in many areas and when it is successful, we also want to be early with implementation. Together with the electrification of transport and other machines, this means another important step towards being able to conduct mining operations that are, in principle, fossil-free,” said Peter Bergman, General Manager of The Boliden area.

The collaboration between Hypex Bio and Boliden has been ongoing since 2020, where the nitrate-free explosive has been developed and tested in the Kankberg mine. The technology has proven to meet Boliden’s requirements for safety, performance, environment, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Tests have also been carried out in the Garpenberg mine and are to be started in the Aitik copper mine.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/environment-sustainability/11032024/boliden-partners-with-hypex-bio-for-production-and-delivery-of-environmentally-friendly-explosives/