Not just the natural wonders, but also a Sandvik mobile crushing train, are working their magic in Greenland

HK Transport is a family-owned transport and contractor company. Founded in 1980 by the father, Kaj Nielson, the company is based in Qaqortoq, the biggest city in South Greenland. From 2018 they expanded the business to include larger contractor projects, besides the transport business. Today, they proudly run a corporation, that is deeply rooted in the local community, with 20 employees and two apprentices. They say they are proud to have had the courage and desire to expand the business in line with the development of mining industries, and infrastructure growth including the new airport and bigger residential projects.

Today, the company is mainly a construction company that resolves many different tasks in the local community and in many places in the rest of Greenland, a huge and very impassable country, especially when it comes to transporting equipment and construction machinery. Alexander Koustrup Nielsen, Director of HK Transport says, "we mainly work with main water pipes, burial of high voltage, drilling and blasting work, and we have just opened a quarry. We have also worked on port improvements and construction of the new airport arrival terminal in Qaqortoq.”

Supply of mining equipment

Mining requires special equipment and a large part of the activity is in South Greenland’s gold mine in Nalunaq, which has been idle for a few years, but where a Canadian mining company is in the process of starting to mine gold.

"We supply a large part of the equipment used in the mine. This consists of large Sandvik crushing and screening plant and construction machinery, that are specially equipped for the purpose of running in the mine," he says. “Mining is a very specialized job. It requires special equipment and machines that can withstand running in a mine 24/7.”

Specially equipped and dependable machines

The machines are specially equipped due to the granite application that is being worked on. This places extraordinary demands on durability. "The machines run for 24 hours in operation in the mine, with 12 hours in each shift. All machines are equipped with GPS and machine control, so we here at the office and at H.P. Entreprenørmaskiner A/S in Nuuk can keep track of how the machines are doing," he says. The same applies to Sandvik crushing and screening systems, which are some of the most reliable on the market. “They really have to withstand a lot, and have to be able to run continuously. A shutdown in a mine so far out is a serious problem. That's why we are dependent on good equipment – and someone who knows how to service it," says Alexander.

"The important thing is that the machines can start when it is really cold. In minus 20-27°C, it can be really difficult to get a diesel engine back to life unless it is prepared for it.” This is the reason why the Sandvik mobile equipment is fitted with an arctic package to cope with these extreme temperatures.

The gold mine in Nalunaq has been in operation for periods since 2004, when it was first established. Good deposits of gold have made it profitable to mine in the mine, which in two periods 2004 and 2013 delivered about 15 grams of gold per tonne of mined material. The mine has produced a total of over 11 tons of pure gold. The mine in Kirkespirdalen at Nanortalik has been dormant for a number of years, but has just become active again. It is the company AEX Gold that reopened the gold mine. This was done through the Greenlandic company Nalunaq A/S, which holds the extraction rights.

Skilled and dedicated workforce

Alexander Koustrup Nielsen emphasizes the importance of skilled employees within their business. "It's not just the machines. The same applies to the employees who drive with them. These are dedicated people who can manage to drive inside a mine, sleep and go back to work. Those are the requirements here," he says, adding that they are always looking for people who can and want to. We work with Canadian, German and local companies on a daily basis. It is a very large operation, and it is a costly affair that started in 2021. We have 17-20 employees working in the mine all the time. They live in a camp for 60-70 men. So far, everything has been under construction, but the mine itself has come into operation in the summer of 2024," he says.

"It is really a strong team we have, and they deserve a big pat on the back, because it is a challenging job in many ways", he says and adds: "With a strong team, good machines and good service, we will go far". The company also has two machine operator apprentices and has previously trained three of its kind.

Close cooperation on machines

In addition to their dedicated workforce, HK Transport also acknowledge the support and excellent cooperation they receive from their local distributor, H.P. Entreprenørmaskiner, a long-standing supplier and partner for the company.

"H.P. Entreprenørmaskiner A/S has been represented here in Greenland for many years. The company established a department in Nuuk in 2012, but product manager Kurt Hansen has been here long before that. District Manager Preben Bach from the company comes here often, so we have a close relationship and we know that there is good service, and not least, solid and durable machines and equipment. We are quite dependent on that," says Alexander Koustrup Nielsen. He is himself a trained contractor machine mechanic, and the apprenticeship was actually the gold mine itself.

HK Transport provides solutions and services and there are many different types of service. This applies to machine operators, engineers, pipelayers and concrete workers. "Due to the nature, culture, geography and climate, it requires something completely different. We deliver what is needed and take care of it, whether it is technical solutions, equipment, or employees. So in that way, we are probably an unusual company in Danish eyes" Alexander says.

For more information contact:

Melissa Baker, Marketing Communications
Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions, Mobile Crushers and Screens
Tel: +44 (0)7725 259151 Email: melissa.baker@sandvik.com

H.P. Entreprenørmaskiner A/S
Tel. +46 56 87 10 10
Email: info@hpe-as.dk www.hpe-as.dk