en.Wedoany.com Reported - Swedish mining company Gruvaktiebolaget Viscaria has disclosed that it has signed a long-term supply and service agreement with Sandvik, under which Sandvik will provide an underground production fleet, automation systems, rock drilling tools, and full life-cycle services for the restart project of the Viscaria copper mine in Kiruna, Sweden. The related order has been booked in Sandvik's third-quarter 2026 order intake.
Under the agreement, Sandvik will supply four DL432i underground production drill rigs and four Toro LH621i underground loaders. All eight units will be integrated into a single AutoMine Multi-Lite automation platform, enabling fleet integration and remote operation management for the drilling and loading equipment. Equipment delivery is scheduled to begin in January 2027 and be completed by August of the same year.
The agreement also includes rock drilling tools, equipment maintenance, technical support, and a full service contract. Sandvik will establish a dedicated service organization at the Viscaria mine site to provide on-site support for the operation of the underground production fleet. The two companies have been collaborating on the project since 2020, and this agreement further extends the scope of cooperation to production equipment, automation systems, and long-term operation and maintenance.
The Viscaria copper mine previously operated from 1982 to 1997 before being closed due to a sharp decline in international copper prices. The current project owner acquired the mine in 2019 and has been progressively advancing environmental permits, mine dewatering, infrastructure, and processing plant construction. The project's environmental permit officially took effect in April 2025, clearing the main regulatory hurdle for the subsequent full restart preparations.
A feasibility study completed in 2025 shows that the Viscaria deposit has mineral resources of 108 million tonnes at an average copper grade of 0.90%, containing more than 967,000 tonnes of copper. The initial mine life determined in the feasibility study is 17 years, with plans to produce approximately 26,000 tonnes of copper per year at full capacity.
Viscaria plans to resume copper production in 2028 and reach full capacity operation in 2029. The automated drill rigs, underground loaders, and supporting services procured under this order will be delivered, installed, integrated, and prepared for production before the start of operations.
