Swedish mining company LKAB has selected NCC to raise walls on two sections of the tailings dam in Kiruna, Sweden, to ensure the long-term storage of mining tailings.

The partnered construction contract is estimated to value Skr170m.

This deal involves foundation work on the dam toes of these two sections and increasing the dams’ crests by 6m and 2m, respectively.

Raising the crest will include approximately 300,000m³ of excavation and 800,000m³ of filling.

NCC Infrastructure Kiruna production manager Robert Nilsson said: “NCC has built dams in the past and has long and solid experience from similar assignments around the Malmfälten mining district.

“We are proud and happy that LKAB has entrusted us with this task and look forward to initiating the partnership.”

The height increases are currently being carried out at a rate needed to meet the measured storage demands and the rate authorised by the relevant environmental permit.

In addition, NCC will construct power supplies for measuring wells and lay drainage pipes and soakaways.

LKAB project division adviser Mattias Ejnestrand said: “One prerequisite for the production of iron ore at the Kiruna mine is that we continuously safeguard the storage of ore tailings.

"For this to work, we must continually raise the walls of the tailings dam so it can store more ore tailings. To create the optimal conditions in terms of time and cost efficiency, we have now entered a collaboration with NCC to guarantee storage over the long term.”

The contract will be registered in the order book of NCC’s Infrastructure business segment for this year's third quarter.

The project is expected to be completed in the later months of 2024.