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The journey of nickel from mine to stroller
METALS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
NICKEL
When you push a baby’s stroller through rain, sleet, and gravel, nickel helps it stand up to the demands of everyday life. Nickel is an important part of the stainless steel used in such things as frames, screws, and fittings. But the metal is not only found in baby equipment. Nickel is used in everything from kitchen products and industrial materials to batteries and other technologies needed for the electrification of society. By making materials stronger and more resistant to rust, nickel contributes to products that last longer. Here you can read more about how nickel is extracted, refined, and used.
How we find nickel
The mining of nickel begins, just as with other metals, with exploration. The work involves finding mineral deposits with sufficiently high concentrations of metals to be worth extracting. This is followed by test drilling, analyses, and permit processes before a mine can be put into operation. As the demand grows for batteries and sustainable materials, so too does the demand for nickel – a metal whose properties make it valuable in everything from stainless steel to energy storage. But what happens once the nickel ore is ready to be mined and brought up from the rock?
Nickel mining – How is it done?
Nickel is mined in various locations including the Boliden Kevitsa open pit in northern Finland, which is Finland's largest-ever mineral deposit. Several of our mines use remote-controlled and automated machinery, which makes operations both safer and more efficient. After blasting, the ore is transported to a concentrator plant where it is crushed, ground, and processed so that the metal-rich minerals can be separated from the surrounding rock material. The result is a concentrate. But before nickel can be used in products such as strollers or batteries, it must be refined and processed further.
Processing nickel – smelting & recycling
After concentration, material from mines such as Kevitsa is transported to our smelter Boliden Harjavalta in southwest Finland. There, nickel and other metals are refined through a multi-stage process. Since the concentrate contains several valuable metals, other raw materials can also be recovered. The result is a range of metals that can be used in new products. Nickel can also be recycled time and time again without losing its properties. Today, more than 85 percent of all nickel used is recycled, making the metal an important part of a more resource-efficient society. From the smelter, nickel then finds its place in many of the products and technologies that surround us every day.
How nickel is used in everyday life
Many people come into contact with nickel every day without realising it. The metal is used in, among other things, stainless steel, where it helps make the material resistant to rust, corrosion, and wear. This is why nickel is found in everything from baby strollers and kitchen equipment to buildings and industrial products. Nickel also plays an important role in modern batteries and is one of the metals for which there is growing demand as the electrification of society continues. Thanks to its durability, nickel can be used for a long time and recycled again and again. But responsibility for nickel production does not end once the metal has been used.
Responsible production
Low-Carbon Nickel is a step further reaching our aim to create a sustainable future for generations to come.
Read more about Low-Carbon Nickel
What happens to the mine afterwards?
When extraction comes to an end, a new chapter begins for the mine site. The reclamation work is planned before operations even start, and aims to reduce environmental risks, restore the land, and create value for the future. Since every location has its own unique conditions, the measures are tailored to the needs of each area. This might involve strengthening biodiversity, creating new habitats for plants and animals, or making the land suitable for other uses. In this way, our responsibility for the site continues long after the last ore has been mined.
Reclamation of Rävlidmyrgruvan
The reclamation project for the closed Rävlidmyrgruvan is a great example of how our continuous monitoring leads to risk based mitigative actions. The project spanned over three years in close collaboration both with the entrepreneur, Skanska, and the affected stakeholders and local community. The continuous environmental monitoring is now starting over for the Rävlidmyrgruvan site, building knowledge for future projects.
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