NORDIC SUPPLIERS
The huge Vaasa battery gigafactory project will
be a major customer for high tech mineral
commodities mined or set to be mined in
Finland such as graphite, cobalt and lithium
and therefore in turn a boon for Nordic mining
equipment and services suppliers
that the new plant will start operating in 2020.
The parent company, Terrafame Group Oy, is one
of the few Finnish companies involved in the EU
Battery Alliance network, which is preparing a
new battery cluster funding program on the
mandate of the EU commission.
“Global electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid
penetration would need to reach 12% in order to
comply with international climate targets by
2025. This would mean that the proportion of
electric vehicles and
plug-in hybrids
would be ten times
higher than
currently. At the
same time, the
demand for raw
materials for
electric cars is
expected to grow
strongly. The
development offers
very interesting
outlooks for
individual
companies as well as for the Finnish battery and
mining cluster as a whole”, says Matti Hietanen,
CEO of Terrafame Group Oy.
Keliber is preparing to launch lithium
production. The mining company owns several
well-studied lithium deposits in Central
Ostrobothnia and aims to produce especially
clean lithium carbonate.
“In the future, movement in the constantly
urbanising world will be based on electricity,
and lithium-ion battery technology will play a
significant role in this turning point of traffic.
The increase in the production of renewable
energy augments the need for energy storage,
thus contributing to the demand for batteries
and raw-materials required in the battery
industry. It is great that a new energy cluster
with excellent export potential is being
developed in cooperation with different
operators in Finland. We are happy to be
involved in such a cooperation network”, says
Pertti Lamberg, CEO of Keliber Oy.
The Finnish subsidiary of Beowulf Mining,
Fennoscandian Resources, owns several
graphite deposits in Finland. The aim of the ore
exploration company is to apply for a mining
permit for the Aitolampi graphite deposit in
Heinävesi this year. “It’s great to be part of
Vaasa’s battery factory project and to have the
opportunity to supply domestic graphite in a
sustainable and ethical way”, says Rasmus
Blomqvist, CEO of Fennoscandian Resources Oy.
Business Finland’s national Batteries from
Finland concept is designed to help Finnish
operators gain access to the European and
global battery network. The activation kit covers
the entire value chain of the battery industry
from raw material production to battery
manufacture, applications and recycling. Around
70 participants from nearly 40 organisations
participated in the battery meeting held by
Business Finland in February, which shows
strong interest in the battery industry.
“Finland has good prerequisites to succeed in
the tight competition for battery-factory
locations in Europe. This requires close national
and regional cooperation between the different
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