MineGuessr – Kemi, Finland: Europe’s Only Chrome Mine

Overview & location

From space, Kemi looks very different from the porphyry copper or gold operations elsewhere in the MineGuessr calendar. Instead of a large, deep open pit, you see a relatively shallow open pit complex that stops growing after the mid-2000s, a compact plant area and tailings / waste facilities that gradually reshape the surface as the mine moves underground.

The Kemi Mine is located at Elijärvi, in the municipality of Keminmaa in northern Finland, a few kilometres inland from the Gulf of Bothnia and close to the industrial hub of Kemi–Tornio. It is:

• Owned and operated by Outokumpu Chrome Oy, a subsidiary of Outokumpu Oyj.
• Integrated directly with Outokumpu’s ferrochrome works and stainless steel plant in Tornio.
• Recognised as the only chrome mine in the European Union and the largest underground mine in Finland by annual ore tonnage.

In the value chain, Kemi’s sole purpose is to produce chromite concentrates for ferrochrome smelting at Tornio. That ferrochrome – with a verified carbon footprint about 67% lower than the industry average – is then used as an alloying element in Outokumpu’s stainless steel grades.

Geology & deposit type

The Kemi deposit is hosted by the Kemi layered intrusion, a mafic–ultramafic intrusion in the northern Fennoscandian Shield. The orebody is a thick, steeply dipping chromite layer with impressive vertical continuity.

Key geological characteristics:

• The orebody is approximately 1 km long, with an average thickness around 40 m, and dips steeply – essentially a near-vertical chromite layer.
• It is a classic stratiform chromite orebody, with chromite bands and lenses set within a layered mafic–ultramafic sequence.
• The chromite ore typically contains around 26% Cr₂O₃ with a chrome-to-iron ratio of about 1.6.
• Measured reserves are on the order of tens of millions of tonnes, with additional mineral resources down to at least 1,000 m depth and geological potential for several kilometres below surface.

For MineGuessr, Kemi represents the chromite / stainless steel end of the raw materials story – very different from the copper, gold and iron ore deposits in other doors of the mining advent calendar.

What the mining satellite timelapse shows

The mining satellite timelapse for Kemi (1984–2022) compresses the transition from a surface-focused open pit into a large underground mine. While much of the recent transformation happens out of sight below ground, the surface still tells a clear story when you look closely.

1. 1960s–1980s – discovery and open-pit development
   • Discovery: Chromite was discovered in 1959 when a sample collected by a local diver was analysed by the Geological Survey of Finland.
   • Start-up: Outokumpu began developing the mine mid-1960s; open-pit production started in 1968, the same year the Tornio ferrochrome plant was commissioned.

   What you see from space:

   • An initial open pit excavated in the forested landscape, with haul roads and early waste dumps developing around it.
   • A small concentrator and ferrochrome logistics chain beginning to take shape toward Tornio.
2. 1990s – mature open-pit chrome operation
   • Through the 1980s and 1990s, Kemi operates as a pure open-pit chrome mine, feeding the Tornio ferrochrome furnaces.
   • Production gradually ramps up, and by the late 1990s annual ore extraction is in the range of a couple of million tonnes.
   • Strategic studies begin to show that the best way to extend mine life is to go underground rather than push the pit ever deeper.

   In the timelapse:

   • The main pit footprint widens and deepens, especially along the strike of the chromite layer.
   • External waste dumps and tailings facilities expand around the site.
   • The site footprint remains relatively compact compared with large open-pit metal mines, but the disturbance is clearly visible against the surrounding forest.
3. 2000s – transition from open pit to underground
   • Underground development: Construction of the underground mine starts in 1999; underground ore production begins in 2003.
   • End of open pit: The final open-pit blast takes place in December 2005. From then onwards, Kemi operates as an underground mine only.
   • Ore production stabilises at roughly 2.4–2.7 Mt per year, now sourced from below ground via decline and shaft infrastructure.

   In the timelapse:

   • You’ll notice that pit expansion stops after the mid-2000s – the pit outline stays almost unchanged in later frames.
   • Some pit areas gradually accumulate water, creating pit lakes that are visible in the more recent imagery.
   • Waste dumps and tailings facilities continue to evolve, but the big visual changes are clearly earlier in the sequence.
4. 2010s–2020s – deepening and decarbonisation
   • Kemi becomes one of Finland’s most important underground mines, with vertical development extending to the 1,000 m level as part of Outokumpu’s “DeepMine” program.
   • Between roughly 2018 and 2023, Outokumpu invests on the order of EUR 250–280 million to deepen and modernise the underground mine, securing ore supply for decades.
   • By the mid-2020s, the mine produces around 2.4–2.7 Mt of chromite ore per year to feed Tornio’s ferrochrome operations.
   • Outokumpu sets a target for the Kemi mine to become the world’s first carbon-neutral mine by 2025, focusing on renewable fuels, low-carbon electricity, electrified heating and reduced value-chain emissions.

   From a MineGuessr lens:

   • Surface changes during this period are subtle: small expansions and reshaping of tailings and waste facilities, new ventilation raises and infrastructure, but no further pit pushbacks.
   • The real transformation is underground and in the carbon footprint of the operation, not in the size of the pit.

For MineGuessr players, Kemi is a good reminder that a “quiet” surface in satellite imagery can hide very substantial underground mining and a major ESG transition.

Mining method & processing – how the ore moves

Today, Kemi is a large-scale underground mine with a fully integrated processing and smelting chain:

• Underground mining: Ore is mined by underground stoping methods accessed via ramps and shafts, with modern trackless equipment hauling ore to underground crushing and hoisting systems.
• Concentration: The concentrator uses gravity separation (spirals, shaking tables and related circuits) without flotation chemicals, benefitting from the high-density, insoluble chromite and a closed process water loop.
• Ferrochrome: Concentrate is transported to Tornio ferrochrome works, where it is smelted into ferrochrome – an alloy containing over 50% chromium.
• Stainless steel: Ferrochrome then feeds Outokumpu’s Tornio stainless steel plant, producing coils and plates shipped across Europe and beyond.

This “mine-to-mill” integration is central to Outokumpu’s cost position and is also a key part of its low-carbon stainless narrative.

Role in the raw materials value chain and energy transition

The Kemi chrome mine is strategically important not just for Outokumpu, but for Europe’s raw materials security:

• It is the only operating chrome mine in the EU, providing a domestic, traceable source of chromite.
• It underpins Outokumpu’s position as one of the largest ferrochrome producers in the western world and as a leader in low-carbon stainless steel.
• Chromite from Kemi is transformed into ferrochrome with a product carbon footprint roughly 67% lower than the industry average, helping reduce emissions embedded in downstream stainless applications.

In the context of the energy transition, stainless steels made with Kemi-origin ferrochrome are used in:

• Renewable energy infrastructure – such as flue-gas scrubbers, condensers, offshore structures, hydrogen equipment and storage tanks.
• Process industry and chemical plants needed for battery materials, low-carbon fuels and green hydrogen.
• Critical infrastructure like bridges, water systems and industrial plants designed for long lifespans and high corrosion resistance.

Understanding how a single chromite deposit feeds this chain – from mine to ferrochrome to stainless steel – is exactly the type of raw materials education that the MineGuessr mining advent calendar aims to support.

What to look for in the MineGuessr timelapse

As a MineGuessr player, here are a few details to look out for in the Kemi satellite timelapse:

1. The early open-pit excavation cutting into the forest from the late 1960s and visible growth through the 1980s and 1990s.
2. The plateau in open-pit size after the mid-2000s, reflecting the end of surface mining and the full transition to underground.
3. The gradual evolution of tailings and waste facilities, even while the pit itself remains unchanged.
4. The relatively compact site footprint compared with the very large open pits elsewhere in the MineGuessr calendar – a reminder that volume and value may be underground and not always visible from space.

MineGuessr perspective – why this mine was included

We selected Kemi for the MineGuessr mining advent calendar because it:

• Is the only chromium mine in the European Union, making it uniquely important for European stainless steel supply and raw materials security.
• Shows a clear life-of-mine evolution in the satellite timelapse – from a growing open pit to a stable surface footprint hiding a large underground operation.
• Is at the forefront of low-carbon mining, with Outokumpu targeting Kemi to become the world’s first carbon-neutral mine by 2025.
• Illustrates the integrated value chain from chromite ore to ferrochrome to stainless steel, which is central to many energy transition and infrastructure applications.

In our GeoGuessr-style mine guessing game, Kemi helps spark conversations about chromite deposits, integrated ferrochrome production and the decarbonisation of underground mining in a Nordic context.

In December, continue opening a new door every day and explore all 24 mines featured this year on the main MineGuessr mining advent calendar page.

• Day 1 - Aitik (Sweden, copper-gold open pit)
  A large, low-grade copper operation south of Gällivare
  👉 Open Door 1 - Aitik
• Day 2 - Björkdal (Sweden, gold)
  Gold mine near Skellefteå, combining open-pit and underground mining.
  👉 Open Door 2 - Björkdal
• Day 4 - Ørtfjell (Norway, iron ore)
  Iron ore mine in Norway’s Dunderland Valley, evolving from large open pits to underground mining.
  👉 Open Door 4 - Ørtfjell
• Day 5 - Trimouns (France, talc)
  World’s largest working talc quarry high in the French Pyrenees above Luzenac.
  👉 Open Door 5 - Trimouns
• Day 6 - Skouries (Greece, copper-gold porphyry)
  High-grade copper–gold porphyry project in the forests of Halkidiki, still under construction.
  👉 Open Door 6 - Skouries
• Day 7 - Las Cruces (Spain, copper)
  High-grade hydromet copper mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt north-west of Seville.
  👉 Open Door 7 - Las Cruces
• Day 8 - Assarel–Medet (Bulgaria, copper)
  Twin porphyry copper open pits in the Panagyurishte district, from Europe’s former largest open-pit copper mine at Medet to today’s modern Assarel operation.
  👉 Open Door 8 - Assarel–Medet
• Day 9 - Glomel (France, andalusite)
  World-class andalusite open-pit quarry in Brittany’s Montagnes Noires, supplying refractory minerals for Europe’s steel, foundry, cement and glass industries.
  👉 Open Door 9 - Glomel
• Day 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona (Greece, bauxite)
  Karst-type bauxite mines in the Parnassos–Ghiona mountains, a historic alumina feedstock district supplying Greece’s aluminium industry.
  👉 Open Door 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona
• Day 11 - Kittilä (Finland, gold)
  Europe’s largest primary gold mine at the Suurikuusikko orogenic gold deposit north of the Arctic Circle.
  👉 Open Door 11 - Kittilä
• Day 12 - Oltenia Energy Complex (Romania, lignite)
  Cluster of large open-pit lignite mines and mine-mouth power plants in Gorj County, now at the centre of Romania’s coal phase-out and just transition plans.
  👉 Open Door 12 - Oltenia Energy Complex
• Day 13 - Cornwall china clay (UK)
  Historic Imerys china clay pits near St Austell, where bright white kaolin benches and tips reshape “Clay Country” over decades of mining and restoration.
  👉 Open Door 13 - Cornwall china clay
• Day 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini (Greece, bentonite)
  Overlapping bentonite open pits on the volcanic island of Milos, anchoring one of Europe’s key industrial minerals districts.
  👉 Open Door 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini
• Day 15 - Skouriotissa (Cyprus, copper & hydromet)
  Ancient copper mining district in the Troodos ophiolite, now a hydrometallurgical hub processing copper, gold and battery-metal feed.
  👉 Open Door 15 - Skouriotissa
• Day 16 - Tunstead (UK, limestone & cement)
  The UK’s largest limestone quarry near Buxton, feeding an integrated lime and cement works with long-term restoration and biodiversity plans.
  👉 Open Door 16 - Tunstead
• Day 17 - Narva (Estonia, oil shale)
  Large open-pit oil shale mine in Ida-Viru County, supplying the Narva power plants and reshaping the landscape with strip mining and reclamation.
  👉 Open Door 17 - Narva
• Day 18 - Sydvaranger (Norway, iron ore)
  Arctic banded iron formation at Bjørnevatn near Kirkenes, evolving toward DR-grade magnetite for Europe’s green steel transition.
  👉 Open Door 18 - Sydvaranger
• Day 19 - Kevitsa (Finland, nickel–copper–PGE)
  Multimetal open-pit mine in Finnish Lapland, combining Ni–Cu–PGE production with trolley-assisted haulage for lower-emission mining.
  👉 Open Door 19 - Kevitsa
• Day 20 - Styrian Erzberg (Austria, iron ore)
  Terraced “pyramid” open-pit iron ore mine at Eisenerz, turning 12 Mt of rock into ~3 Mt of ore each year for Austria’s steel industry.
  👉 Open Door 20 - Styrian Erzberg
• Day 21 - Minas de Alquife (Spain, iron ore)
  Europe’s largest open-pit iron ore mine in Granada, restarting in 2020 after two decades of closure to supply high-grade ore to European steelmakers.
  👉 Open Door 21 - Minas de Alquife
• Day 22 - Siilinjärvi (Finland, phosphate)
  EU’s only operating phosphate mine in central Finland, mining an Archean carbonatite for fertiliser-grade apatite and creating distinctive pale tailings and phosphogypsum stacks.
  👉 Open Door 22 - Siilinjärvi
• Day 23 - Tellnes (Norway, ilmenite/titanium)
  World-class ilmenite open pit in the Rogaland Anorthosite Province, supplying TiO₂ pigment feedstock from one of Europe’s largest titanium deposits.
  👉 Open Door 23 - Tellnes
• Day 24 - Elatsite (Bulgaria, copper–gold porphyry)
  High-altitude porphyry copper–gold open pit in Bulgaria’s Srednogorie zone, with ore conveyed under the Balkan Mountains to a separate flotation–tailings complex.
  👉 Open Door 24 - Elatsite

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About Gosselin Mining

At Gosselin Mining, we work with exactly the kind of long-life, vertically integrated operations that Kemi represents: bulk underground mines, complex mine-to-smelter value chains, and ESG-driven transformations such as carbon-neutrality targets, water recycling and tailings optimisation.

If you would like to:

• Stress-test your own life-of-mine plan for a long-life bulk orebody
• Assess open-pit to underground transition strategies or vertical deepening projects
• Benchmark your decarbonisation pathway or ESG profile against leading Nordic mines

…you’re very welcome to book a meeting with us.

Further Reading and References

1. Outokumpu (online) Kemi Mine. Available at https://www.outokumpu.com/en/locations/kemimine/ (Accessed on 4 December 2025)