WSP's involvment in Kiruna
- A new £450M pellet works, ore dressing plant, haulage depot and terminal, together with environmental measures such as flue gas purification
- Relocation of railways, roads and parts of the town of Kiruna itself made necessary by fissuring of the ground caused by mining in the region
The moving of the city Kiruna includes a railway station, roads and church. It has already started and the project will last 30 years. WSP has a new office in Kiruna and is involved in a lot of work associated with the mine. Our work is principally roads and planning. WSP were involved in consultation process and continue to provide consultancy.
Re-routing the transport infrastructure
The National Rail and Roads Administrations have appointed WSP to conduct the feasibility studies to re-route the railway line and public highways in the region. Top priority for relocation is the railway, which is closest to the fissuring. This will take many years and is due for completion in 2012.
Mine extension
WSP has worked for LKAB since the 1970s, designing tunnels and shafts for the mine’s three main levels. This experience and the unique skills of our construction designers led to WSP’s appointment to work on conversion and extension work at the mine itself.
Our work included feasibility studies, advance project planning and construction documentation for the relocation and replacement of the mine’s pumping station with a new, high capacity station that pumps water from the mine at a rate of 500 litres per second.
Building a new 400 m tunnel for the conveyance of iron ore between the sorting plant and the ore dressing plant is another major and complex sub-project. In partnership with construction group PEAB, WSP was assigned as the project planner for the new ore dressing plant. This requires WSP’s expertise in construction, excavation, architecture, acoustics, fire safety and project management, and is particularly difficult because the tunnel is one of many in the same area.