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Finland's first silver mine to start production next year

The mine will employ about 100 people and produce 45 tonnes of silver per year.

Kaksi kaivoksen työntekijää maanalaisessa tunnelissa.
Image: Julia Sieppi / Yle

Finland’s first silver mine in Sotkamo in eastern Finland will start production next year.

The board of Swedish-based Sotkamo Silver AB said on Wednesday that the company has now ensured sufficient financing and will start the construction of the mine.

Production is estimated to begin in the first part of 2019.

Arttu Ohtonen, chief executive of Sotkamo Silver's Finnish subsidiary, said the mine would employ about 100 people and produce approximately 45 tonnes of the metal per year.

According to Ohtonen, a half of the enriched silver will be sold for industrial purposes and the other half will be used for jewelry, cutlery and investment silver.

“We may soon see Finnish silver in Finnish jewelry,” he said.