Behind the scenes at Aitik, meet Mathilda
In the TV series Gruvan on Viaplay and TV3, you can follow Mathilda, a high-voltage electrician at Aitik, and get a glimpse of life behind the scenes at Sweden's largest open-pit mine, where every working day is crucial to keeping production running smoothly.
The series takes viewers to places such as Aitik, Sweden's largest open-pit mine and one of Europe's largest copper mines. Here, ore containing copper, gold, and silver is mined around the clock. Gruvan shows how mining operations work and highlights the advanced technology and expertise required to run a modern mine.
Mathilda has been working at Boliden for almost four years. For the first two years, she worked as an electrician in the enrichment plant, and for the last two years she has been working in the mine with high voltage.
"Our main task is to supply power to the mine's machines and maintain the mine network. When an excavator loses power, everything depends on us. We need to troubleshoot quickly and restore power so the machine can keep loading," says Mathilda.
How did she become part of the TV series?
"I was told I’d be a great fit and was recommended. It was scary at first because it was a completely new experience, but I don't regret it; it's fun to show what we do."
Having a camera crew with us in our everyday lives was unusual at first:
"Before filming began, it felt strange to have a camera crew following us around; it's not something we've done before. I prefer to be behind the camera myself! But once we got started, we quickly got used to it and became close with the film crew. They were professional and stayed in the background, so it turned out better than expected."
What does Mathilda hope viewers will take away from the show?
"I hope people will see how much fun our job is and how modern mines really are today. The technology is incredible and constantly evolving. Hopefully, the series will inspire more people to consider a career in mining, we always need skilled people! It would also be great if more women were encouraged to become electricians and work in mines. In our little high-voltage team, more and more women are joining, but there’s always room for more.”
Pride in her work
"It makes you proud knowing that what we do in high voltage is essential to keeping production running, together with other functions such as mechanics, machine electricians, and many others. Downtime is expensive, so when everything is back up and running thanks to our work, it feels great."
Advice for anyone considering a career in mining
"Give it a chance! Be curious and take initiative, you won't regret it. It's a constantly evolving workplace with lots of opportunities. There's a role for everyone here. You might think that only machine operators are needed in a mine, but there's so much more to it!"
Watch Gruvan on TV3 and Viaplay to follow Mathilda and her colleagues in Aitik.
