Responsible closure

After 60 years of operations, the Pyhäsalmi copper mine in Finland stopped underground mining in August 2022. Production will continue on a small scale for a few more years, producing pyrite from reprocessing tailings material, but the road to complete closure of the mine is nearing its end.

Working with the community
The nearest town, Pyhäjärvi is just 5 km away, used to rely on the mine for a third of its tax income. As such, it is important not only that we consider how to behave responsibly to the environment as we close, but also how we can behave responsibly to the local community. The town was made aware of the planned closure more than a decade ago. Since then, we’ve met regularly with local community leaders to hear from them and to demonstrate our commitment to carry out the closure in the best possible way, weighing the needs of the community and the environment.

Looking after employees
A big part of the community we need to consider are our employees. As the closure approaches, we are supporting them to transition to new jobs, offering opportunities to develop new workplace skills or to further their academic studies. Many of our colleagues have already begun retraining, taking on roles as engineers, professional drivers and entrepreneurs. Wherever possible, we try to help our colleagues find new roles with First Quantum so they can continue their careers with us.

Electric future
Through our engagement with the local community, we’ve uncovered a number of ways that the operation’s premises can be used to provide future livelihoods for the people who live there. With our support, Pyhäjärvi established the Callio project in 2015 to promote further industrial uses of the mine.

As in other operations, Pyhäsalmi has long conducted progressive restoration throughout its operational life. More than 20 years ago, we reclaimed one of our tailings ponds – now using more than half the area for a solar farm that will provide power for closure and Pyrite production when it is finished in 2025-2026. The remaining ponds will also be reclaimed while ensuring geochemical stability of the facility and preventing acid rock drainage.

Continued monitoring
During and after closure, we will ensure that environmental monitoring continues so that we know the environment is safe for the local community and wildlife. We will monitor key parameters including any impact to surface and groundwater, as well as the maintenance of infrastructure closure.

We continue to contribute to the local communities in the area to ensure that the place where we’ve been operating remains vibrant for years to come.