The European Commission has adopted several changes in measurement requirements and emission limits for industrial plants. To limit the environmental impact of iron ore mining, leaders in the industry have been taking necessary steps to keep track of the emissions their processes produce.

LKAB, which specializes in the underground mining and production of iron pellets, prioritizes the use of policies and technologies that help keep the company in compliance with emission regulations. According to maintenance engineer Bernt Johansson, Gasmet systems allow LKAB managers to see important measurements and statistics and keep constant track of the plant’s emissions. The system is also useful in allowing them to go back and check on emission trend curves.

LKAB and emissions monitoring

Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB, or LKAB, is a high-tech mining and mineral group that mines and harnesses the unique iron ore found in Norrbotten for the international steel market. LKAB currently uses a total of 12 Gasmet continuous emissions monitoring systems in its plants.

“In total, we have five monitoring systems located at the two pellet plants in Malmberget. One of them is a double that measures in two pipes”, Johansson states.

They then use emission monitoring systems to track exhaust gases in various processes. The Gasmet equipment is specifically used to measure the emissions of H₂O, CO₂, NO, NO₂, N₂O, SO₂, HCL, HF, TOC, NO_x, and O₂ gases.

Johansson recommends the Gasmet CEMS II e  for plants that are looking for a measurement tool that is consistent and trustworthy. With a combination of regular service and calibration, it is a system that has provided LKAB accuracy in emission monitoring.

“Gasmet CEMS II e is a stable and reliable system, and with the combination of regular servicing from ALNAB, it is addressing our emission monitoring needs nicely here at LKAB”, Johansson says.

Regular servicing means less maintenance work for LKAB personnel

Johansson also states that because ALNAB conducts servicing and calibrations at the plant twice a year, LKAB personnel only has to manage a small amount of maintenance.

“The type of maintenance that has to be conducted typically includes changing calibration gas tubes, conducting span- and zero-calibrations, verifying that the advanced and sensitive instruments are working correctly, transferring the values into the main system for registration and process controlling”, he explains.

 

LKAB is one of the Oldest Industrial Firms in Sweden

With a head office in Luleå, LKAB is fully owned by the Swedish state and is one of the oldest industrial firms in the country.

Additionally, LKAB is committed to using technologies that will enable the company to continue to efficiently and responsibly mine and process highly sought-after iron ore products. They are the largest producer of iron ore in Europe, providing 78 percent of the iron ore on the continent.

In 2017, the company produced 27.2 million tons of iron ore products. While the majority of its iron ore products are sold to European steel mills, LKAB also sells to firms in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and the USA.

Bernt Johansson is a maintenance engineer at one of LKAB’s pellet plants in Malmberget. His job duties are related mostly to instrumentation and signal measurement.

 

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Learn more about our CEMS II e CEMS II e offers modular and TÜV and MCERTS certified (QAL1) solution for environmental compliance in industrial processes, such as powerplants, waste incineration, cement plants and beyond. The system adjusts to changes in regulations and future advances of emissions monitoring best practices with ease.