Viru Keemia Grupp (VKG) yesterday officially opened the EUR 75 million Uus-Kiviõli mine, where the steel structures for the conveyor were installed by Maru THM.
Completed last year, the 6-kilometre conveyor transports oil shale from the newly opened mine to the existing mine’s conveyor system, from where the shale moves on to the Kiviõli chemical plant.
In a press release, Ahti Asmann, Chairman of the Management Board at VKG, noted that a mine is not built solely based on drawings, as underground conditions are unpredictable beyond the next meter. Under such conditions, engineering knowledge and technical solutions must constantly be aligned with geological and natural requirements.
VKG expects to produce shale oil in the new mine for the next 30 years. “The new mine provides the necessary raw material base for another three decades, allowing us to continue making a significant contribution to the Estonian economy through exports, tax revenue, and well-paid jobs,” Asmann stated in the invitation to the opening event. Uus-Kiviõli will remain VKG’s sole mine, as the current Ojamaa mine will be closed at the end of next year, with its nearly 530 employees transitioning to work at the new mine.
This is not the first time that Maru Group has completed major industrial projects with VKG. Maru Ehitus was the lead designer and contractor for the Petroter II and III oil plants, as well as the designer and contractor for the Ojamaa mine complex. Both are massive projects in the Estonian industrial landscape.
VKG is a major Estonian industrial enterprise and the largest producer of shale oil in Estonia and globally. The company operates across the entire shale processing value chain, from oil shale mining to the production of high-purity fine chemicals.
Maru THM is one of the largest and longest-standing assembly companies in Estonia. With an experienced team operating in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden, it has participated in the construction of Estonia’s most powerful industrial facilities.
Visual: VKG