Sibelco’s Aheim site is located on the west coast of Norway. It is the world’s largest commercial olivine deposit with up to 150 years of reserves. The site was opened by A/S Olivine in 1948 and later acquired by Sibelco. Today olivine is exported to customers around the world.
Olivine
Olivine, so-called because of its olive-green colour, is the primary component of the earth’s upper mantle. It has also been discovered in meteorites, on the moon and on Mars.
Olivine’s use as an industrial mineral was pioneered in the early twentieth century by Professor Viktor Moritz Goldschmidt, a Norwegian mineralogist considered to be the founder of modern geochemistry and crystal chemistry.
Because of its high melting point, thermal and refractory properties, olivine is most-commonly used in the metallurgy industry (foundry, refractory and blast furnaces). In recent years Sibelco has developed several new innovative applications, including:
- carbon sequestration - olivine is the fastest-weathering mineral, making it an efficient material for capturing CO2
- high-density ballasting - securing offshore and land-based structures such as wind turbines and bridges
- thermal heat storage - high density combined with high heat capacity make olivine perfect for storing heat energy
- water filtration - treating industrial wastewater for reuse, thereby conserving precious freshwater resources
Aheim
Sibelco’s Aheim site is located on the west coast of Norway. It is the world’s largest commercial olivine deposit with up to 150 years of reserves. The site was opened by A/S Olivine in 1948 and later acquired by Sibelco. Today olivine is exported to customers around the world.
The proximity of Aheim’s mine, processing facility and shipping terminal enables Sibelco to run a highly efficient operation with minimal transport or double-handling of materials. Quarried olivine is moved via conveyor belt through a 4km tunnel to the processing plant where it is crushed, dried and screened into different grades.
