Boliden Rönnskär is one of the world’s most efficient copper smelters.
In a post on Boliden Rönnskär’s intranet, which Norran has seen, site manager Linn Andersson writes, "We cannot sit still and just accept the situation; we need to tackle costs where possible and adjust to future-proof Rönnskär... We need to be attractive both to investors and as an employer, and this will involve measures that will affect us all."
Boliden’s communications manager, Per Sundberg, explains that the company has reached this point due to several factors. The absence of the electrolytic plant, which burned down in June 2023, is a major factor.
– But we have also faced high inflationary pressures over the past few years, he tells Norran.
Some temporary solutions, such as anode handling and increased traffic through the port, have also driven up costs.
The management team at Boliden Rönnskär has developed a rough action plan to future-proof Rönnskär by 2025. The plan was presented to all department heads just before Christmas. The action plan primarily focuses on reviewing costs, organization, and targeted improvements. More detailed work on analysis and evaluation will continue through January and, according to Sundberg, is expected to be completed by the end of February or early March.
– At this stage, it’s not about layoffs. While measures may involve the organization and staff, we won’t know for sure until later in the process, emphasises Sundberg.
The new electrolytic plant, currently under construction at an estimated cost of 4.8 billion kronor, will gradually increase Rönnskär’s production of copper cathodes and precious metals to full capacity by the second half of 2026.
The union representatives from Ledarna and Sveriges Ingenjörer at Boliden Rönnskär, with whom Norran has spoken, do not wish to comment on the hiring freeze right now.
In 2023, Boliden Rönnskär reported a profit of 276 million kronor, with an average of 875 employees.