Boliden AB - History in Brief

History in Brief

2006 Decision to invest in an expansion of the Aitik mine. Agreement with OM Group Inc (OMG) regarding the refining of nickel concentrate at Harjavalta. Successful exploration resulted in increases to Garpenberg’s ore reserves. A new lead section was also opened at Bergsöe.

2005 Kvarnberget is the name given to a new mineralisation discovered in Garpenberg. Decision to invest in expansion of the Harjavalta smelter. Feasibility study of possible expansion of the Aitik mine. Boliden sells its shares in Breakwater Resources and Lundin Mining. First edition of Boliden’s in-house magazine, "Boliden Magazine", published.

2004 New Boliden is created through the structural transaction with Outokumpu. Work begins on creating Boliden’s new strategic platform – the New Boliden Way (NBW). The Odda zinc smelter is modernised.

2003 Boliden acquires Outokumpu’s mining and smelting operations and sells its Fabrication and Technology Sales operations to Outokumpu.

2001 A fourth expansion takes place at Kokkola, increasing capacity to 260,000 tonnes per year, making it one of the world’s biggest zinc smelters.

2000 Harjavalta’s nickel operations are sold. Maurliden, the 28th mine in the Boliden Area, opens. The new Rönnskär complex is inaugurated.

1998 The Spanish Los Frailes mine closes as a result of the tailings dam failure, causing extensive damage in the environment, near Doñana National Park. The Rönnskär +200 expansion – an investment of SEK 1.9 billion – is approved. The direct leaching method is implemented at Kokkola.

1997 Boliden establishes its head office in Toronto. The share is listed on the Toronto and Montreal stock exchanges.

1995 Harjavalta is expanded, increasing copper production by 60 per cent and nickel production by 200 per cent.

1993 The “copper shuttle” train begins transporting copper cathodes from Skelleftehamn to Elektrokoppar in Helsingborg.

1990 The concentrator at Boliden is expanded and modernised. The Outokumpu Group is incorporated, and the zinc smelter becomes known as Outokumpu Zinc Oy and the copper and nickel smelters as Outokumpu Harjavalta Metals Oy.

1988 The Spanish mining company, Apirsa SL, becomes a subsidiary of Boliden.

1987 The Swedish industrial conglomerate, Trelleborg AB, takes a controlling interest in Boliden.

1979 Boliden buys Paul Bergsöe & Son.

1977 Production starts at the Irish zinc mine, Tara.

1970 Production of aluminium fluoride begins at Odda. In Ireland, Tara discovers the big zinc and lead deposit.

1969 Operations begin at the zinc smelter in Kokkola.

1968 Mining operations start at Aitik.

1967 The Boliden mine is closed down. Outokumpu decides to establish its own zinc smelter in Kokkola.

1964 Boliden buys half of the shares in the Norwegian zinc smelter, Det Norske Zinkkompani A/S (Odda).

1957 Boliden acquires the Garpenberg mine from Zinkgruvor AB.

1955 The world’s deepest railway – between the Långsele and Boliden mines – is completed.

1952 Construction of a sulphuric acid plant at Rönnskär to exploit the sulphur dioxide-bearing chimney gases.

1949 The flash smelting method is introduced at Harjavalta.

1946 Boliden publishes Sweden’s first in-house magazine, “Smältdegeln” .

1945 Copper production starts at Harjavalta.

1943 The 96-kilometre ore tramway between Kristineberg and Boliden opens. Tin and lead smelting starts at Bergsöe.

1942 Lead plant built at Rönnskär. Paul Bergsöe & Son AB formed in Landskrona.

1940 Operations start at the Kristineberg mine.

1939 Outokumpu Oy starts extracting zinc concentrate from Outokumpu ore.

1931 The two mining companies – Västerbottens Gruvaktiebolag and Skellefteås Gruvaktiebolag – are merged to form Bolidens Gruvaktiebolag.

1930 Operations start at the Rönnskär smelter.

1929 Zinc production begins at Odda. The first ore train to Rönnskär leaves Boliden on 24 September.

1925 Västerbottens Gruvaktiebolag and Skellefteå Gruvaktiebolag are formed.

1924 Gold discovered at Fågelmyran in Boliden.