Edzcom, a Cellnex affiliate company, and Callio Pyhäjärvi say they have joined hands “to boost the automation and digitalisation of the entire mining industry in Finland and internationally” through a state-of-the-art 5G Private Wireless Network.
Pyhäjärvi Callio’s project, known as ‘FutureMINE– the future digital test mine project’ is located in Pyhäsalmi, which is one of the deepest known mines in Europe, reaching 1,445 m underground. The former copper, zinc and pyrite mine is in central Finland, 4 km southeast of the town of Pyhäjärvi, on Lake Pyhäjärvi. It is still owned by former operator First Quantum Minerals and on the surface, pyrite supply will extend until 2025, based on reclaiming pyrite from tailings.
The venture seeks to unlock new possibilities, not only for the mining industry, but also for OEM manufacturers of vehicles and machines together with end users of the battery-powered technology, along with companies related to the transport, energy storage, explosives and tunnel construction industries.
The FutureMINE business partners include Pyhäsalmi Mine Oy itself, owned by former operator First Quantum , Edzcom Oy, Sandvik Oy, Normet Oy, M-Solutions Oy, Pyhäsalmen Kvanttikinteistöt Oy, Kempower Oy, Oy Forcit Ab, Delta Cygni Labs Oy, Byrnecut Ltd, and OZ Minerals Ltd (now part of BHP).
The 5G Private Wireless Network includes leading-edge Nokia Modular Private Wireless (MPW), a Compact Mobility Unit (CMU) and a Radio Access Network (RAN) covering a distance of 11.5 km total in length and on eight levels underground. The purpose-built solution has been designed to support the most demanding applications such as predictive maintenance, location services, 3D modelling, advanced analytics, mining automation among other key use cases.
The project’s key focus areas include testing and verifying various mining applications, developing future mining services which require full coverage, continuous improvement, innovation, and enabling ecosystems for future digitalisation and development of sustainable solutions.
“Edzcom and Nokia are the valued partners chosen for this long-term strategic collaboration due to their extensive experience in private wireless networks and their commitment to join us on this journey ahead. Callio recognises the importance of agility and adaptability in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. Through this partnership, we are confident in our ability to make dynamic changes that optimise our network infrastructure and propel us towards greater efficiency and innovation,” said Sakari Nokela, Chief Development Officer at Callio Pyhäjärvi.
“We have full confidence that this project will bring about transformative changes not only to the mining industry but also to the community of Pyhäjärvi. Callio firmly believes in the power of innovation and technology to drive positive impact. We chose Edzcom as they are the undisputed leader in Private Networks with over 20 references in Finland including a portfolio of top leader industries,” said Henrik Kiviniemi, Town Manager.
“We are extremely pleased that Callio entrusts us for our leading position among private network providers in Europe, with proven capabilities to build reliable connectivity solutions in very demanding environments. We are committed with Callio and Nokia the FutureMine to become the best-in-class test mine in the world,” said Petri Parviainen, Senior Key Account Manager at Edzcom.
“Nokia and Edzcom are excited to strengthen our partnership and push the boundaries of connectivity with this groundbreaking project, to drive digital transformation across industries. By combining our expertise in leading-edge network solutions with Edzcom’s proficiency in private networks and Callio’s forward-thinking approach, we are poised to unlock unprecedented possibilities for underground mines,” said Pekka Hakala, Sales Lead to Private Wireless – Finland at Nokia.
By building Private 5G Wireless networks, Callio Pyhäjärvi Industry Park says it has achieved a milestone in becoming a best-in-class test mine, pioneering new use cases, enabling mining automation, enhancing safety measures, predictive maintenance, optimising mining operations, and developing advanced analytics.
