There are 19 nations represented among the exhibitors at Euro Mine Expo in Skellefteå, Sweden, marking a new record for the exhibition which opens its doors next week (June 10-12). The growing international interest is key for the organisers, who say they “look forward to what promises to be the best edition of the expo to date.” “An important part of our success is the fact that everyone attending the expo can learn from experiences in other countries, discuss issues at hand and interact with new people,” says Jaana Tengman, Project Manager at Euro Mine Expo. “For us, there are only upsides to having as many as 19 countries represented among the exhibitors and even more among those attending.”

Also, the field trips organised during the expo has drawn a lot of interest. The field trip to Boliden’s mine in Kankberg has been sold out and additional seats have been made available. Attendees will also have to opportunity to visit Boliden Rönnskär, one of the world’s most efficient copper smelters with a yearly production of 206,000 t.

”It’s a chance to see sites operated by a world-leading company such as Boliden and thatnaturally draws a lot of interest,” says Tengman. “The interest has been huge, they are sold out since long.”

”We have a great cooperation with Boliden and we are very thankful for that. Their commitment in this has been absolutely fabulous,” states Tengman.

Kankberg is a gold and tellurium mine. It was reopened in 2012 after being closed down in the 1990s, which is when gold and tellurium were discovered there. In the first year 250 kg of gold was produced. Kankberg is today 500 m deep. The cut-and-fill method is used here and granite is used as the backfill material. The mine employs about 80 people and around 20 contractors.