Overview -
The Tara mine is located near Navan, Meath County, Ireland, about 50 km from Dublin. Tara is the largest zinc mine in Europe and the fifth largest in the world, producing 200,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate and 40,000 tonnes of lead concentrate annually.
The mine was discovered in 1970 and production began in 1977. It went on care-and-maintenance in 2001 due to low zinc prices but was able to restart in 2003. Boliden acquired Tara in 2005. The mine currently employs 700 people.
Tara is an underground mine which employs trackless mining, state-of-the-art remote-control technology and computerised systems. Boliden has added its international resources and technological skills gained in mining operations all over the world. Boliden and Tara together ensure that the mining operation at Navan continues to improve in every respect.
The Navan orebody lies between 50 and 900 metres below surface. The central section has been mined out. The mine has been enlarged with acquisitions to the northeast, the Nevinstown (formerly Bula) orebody, and to the southwest, the South West Extension (SWEX) orebody. All three sections of the orebody are currently being mined. The mine life extends past 2015.
Tara supplies some of its zinc concentrate to Boliden's smelters in Kokkola, Finland and Odda, Norway, but most of Tara's production is sold to third parties in Europe.
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