Anglo American, a leading global mining company, celebrates its 20th anniversary in Finland on Saturday 17th August. The company is developing the Sakatti mine project in Sodankylä, Finland.

Anglo American commenced exploration in Finnish Lapland in 2004. The first observations of Sakatti’s mineralisation were made in 2006. The Sakatti deposit with exceptionally high metal concentrations was discovered in 2009.

The deposit holds the important base metals of copper, nickel, and cobalt in addition to precious metals such as platinum, palladium, gold, and silver. 

“We continue the strong development of the project. The ore exploration phase has come to an end and as a natural next step, we have submitted a mining permit application to the Finnish mining authority”, says Pertti Lamberg, Anglo American’s Sakatti Project Manager.

“The Sakatti deposit has been explored to a depth of more than a kilometer. Over the decades, the exploration phase has provided numerous jobs, and the research group of ten people has grown into a project organization of more than 60 people. The Sakatti Project has become one of the largest private employers in Sodankylä," explains Pertti Lamberg.

A significant amount of committed work 

During the past two decades, the Sakatti deposit has been carefully explored. A very large number of ore samples have been taken and the metal content has been determined by precisely analysis. The data has been compiled into a three-dimensional mineralization model. 

The environmental impacts have been carried out thoroughly. The basic condition monitoring of the deposit was started already in 2009. Monitoring has produced comprehensive information on biodiversity and especially groundwater conditions. Surveys of the Sakatti deposit have led to two dissertations and a groundwater model that follows the best practices in the field for assessing environmental impacts.

Anglo American's goal is to start mining operations in the early 2030s. 

Towards the future of sustainable mining 

Anglo American has developed several exceptional solutions for the Sakatti Project, where the deposit is located under the corner of the protected Viiankiaapa mire, at the depth of 250 – 1,200 metres. The size of the deposit covers about 3% of the protected area. 

The minerals processing area will be located outside the protected area. A 5.5-kilometer connecting tunnel to the ore is planned to be built with a tunnel boring machine. There will be no above-ground structures in the protected area. 

Sakatti will become an underground carbon-neutral mine where electrified equipment and machinery will be widely used in excavation and ore transport. A large part of the tailings and side rock will be used as mine filling material. In addition, the mine's waters will be efficiently recycled. Together with other measures, the production of critical minerals will be sustainable. 

Anglo American’s principle is to compensate for the environmental impacts caused by the mine, which cannot be avoided or reduced on site. The company has proactively acquired nearly 3,000 hectares of forest in Inari, Lapland, for conservation. Additionally, the company plans to restore drained mire areas in Sodankylä.

For further information:  

Pertti Lamberg, Sakatti Project Manager, Anglo American
Tel +358 40 128 3988 Email: [email protected]

Background on the Sakatti Mine Project 

• The Sakatti deposit with an exceptionally high metal content is located 15 kilometres north of Sodankylä, Finland.

• The polymetallic deposit contains critical minerals essential for strengthening Europe’s mineral self-sufficiency. These minerals are used, for example, in wind and solar energy production, electricity transmission and storage solutions, stainless steel, electric vehicles, battery chemicals, water purification, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and various information technology applications. 

• Once started, the project will create approximately 350 new jobs in the area. The indirect effects of the mine would generate around 900 additional jobs in other sectors. The project’s preparation is progressing through close dialogue with the local community. 

• The estimated mineral reserves of the deposit amount to 44.4 million tonnes. Thanks to the high metal content, more metals can be recovered with a smaller amount of mining than usual. In this case, the environmental impacts will also be smaller.