UPACMIC is a LIFE+ project which aims to demonstrate that there are technically and environmentally feasible alternatives for constructing new mining facilities and remediating the existing ones without the extensive use of non-renewable natural materials. UPACMIC projects first phase of the piloting has now been successfully completed. A fibre clay cover structure for the enrichment sand pond was piloted at the Hitura nickel mine. The cover structure was made with three different fibre clays and a reference structure with moraine was also implemented.

The properties of the fibre clay met the requirements of construction and the group says can be regarded as a potential substitute for moraine in mining. The construction was carried out by the project partner Fortum Waste Solutions Oy and the construction was supervised by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia.

In the second phase of the project, the utilisation of industrial waste materials in the bottom structure and the reactive wall will be piloted. Design work and laboratory studies for the structures are ongoing. The construction of the second pilot phase will be carried out by Fortum Waste Solutions Oy and Suomen Maastorakentajat Oy. The end date for the project is in August 2020 and therefore a two-year extension is being applied for the project. Within the extension period it is possible to finish the construction, follow-up and reporting of all remaining piloting activities.

The project is financially supported by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and it is co-financed by the EU LIFE+ Environmental Policy & Governance programme (UPACMIC LIFE12 ENV/FI/000592).