Norwegian company Nussir has signed a cooperation agreement with the Hammerfest municipality for its namesake project, which will be a fully-electrified mine powered by renewable energy.
The agreement allows for local business and job opportunities, the company said on Thursday, stating that fewer people would have to leave the municipality to find employment.
“For a generation, Kvalsund has suffered from severe population decline, predominately due to residents seeking employment opportunities that are only available in larger cities. We want to play a role in reversing this decline, delivering growth and prosperity in the region and, in turn, helping to protect the practices and language of the local Sámi people,” said CEO Øystein Rushfeldt.
Nussir mining project would be fully electrified, with no diesel engines running in the mine. “Combining zero carbon use with Norway’s almost 100% clean renewable energy grid is the ultimate combination for bringing the much-needed copper metal to market in a climate sustainable way,” the firm stated.
Mining consultancy firm SRK is currently carrying out an electrification study in order to update the company’s feasibility study in line with this.
The project, which is fully permitted, hosts 80-million tonnes of copper ore at an average grade of 1.14%.