NEPower involved in building the electrical infrastructure for Agnico Eagle Finland Oy’s Kuilu – project at the Kittilä mine
NEPower has contributed to the expansion project of the Kittilä mine, where an underground crusher, rock handling system, and ore hoist were constructed—along with the necessary infrastructure—to enhance ore extraction efficiency. NEPower played a role in several areas of the project, with the main installation work focused on the maintenance levels of the new shaft.
“Our main responsibility in this project was the electrification of the new shaft’s maintenance levels, in addition to construction and process electrification, the work included medium-voltage tasks. As the originally agreed work progressed smoothly, our scope expanded along the way” says NEPower’s Project Engineer and Site Manager, Joonas Hietapelto.
Working in challenging conditions requires collaboration and expertise
The Kittilä mine expansion marked NEPower’s first underground mining project. While modern mining environments often resemble above-ground workplaces, this project included areas where that supporting infrastructure had not yet been built.
Nonetheless, working conditions at the Kittilä gold mine were safe and well-organized: proper ventilation and access control were in place, as is standard in mine environments. Safety remained the top priority throughout the project.
“The project required strong teamwork and an adaptable mindset since multiple contractors worked side by side and used shared access routes, with our flexible approach, we contributed to keeping everyone’s work on track and on schedule.” Hietapelto explains.
Along with their positive attitude, NEPower’s deep expertise in electrical installations was clearly evident on-site.
“Many of our employees have prior experience in the mining sector, so in addition to installation work, we were able to actively participate in planning and provide input from a practical point of view,” says Hietapelto.
“We also received excellent feedback for the high quality of our work.”
This project demonstrated NEPower’s capabilities in executing electrical installations in demanding underground conditions. The expertise gained will be in high demand in the near future, as several mining-related projects are underway in Finland and across the Nordics.
