Vale Inco renews ABB deal at Voisey’s Bay

Swiss automation and engineering giant ABB (ABB-N) has just signed an agreement with Vale Inco, a subsidiary of Vale (VALE-N) to cover equipment maintenance at the company’s Voisey’s Bay nickel mine in Labrador.

According to the contract, Vale Inco will retain ABB’s services at the project for five years.

Since 2005, ABB has helped Voisey’s Bay hit several milestones including the fastest ramp-up out of all the Vale Inco greenfield sites in 2005, the highest all-time production levels in 2006, 1,000 days of no lost time due to an injury, (which was awarded in 2007) and the highest tonnes-per-day production levels in 2008.

Also, ABB will continue its partnership with Iskueteu, an aboriginal company providing operations support, as part of the agreement.

Workers at Voisey’s Bay have been on strike since August as the United Steelworkers union and Vale Inco failed to find common ground.