Europe’s first lithium mine for battery production opens – Finland starts mining

Finland has started mining lithium in what is described as Europe’s first mine to produce battery-grade lithium. According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, production has started in the western part of the country, in the Kaustinen area.

The lithium from the project is intended for the production of lithium hydroxide, a key raw material for making batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

The mine is being developed by Keliber, which has entered the operational phase after years of preparation and construction of the facility. The project involves the extraction of lithium from hard rocks and its processing into lithium hydroxide, a key raw material for making batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

The majority owner of the project is international mining group Sibanye-Stillwater, while the state-owned investment company Finnish Minerals Group holds a minority stake. The investment is estimated at around 800 million euros.

The start of production comes as the European Union seeks to strengthen its own sources of critical raw materials and reduce its dependence on lithium imports from outside Europe. The Finnish project is seen as an important step towards a more stable and autonomous European battery supply chain.

Keliber

Sibanye Stillwater

Finnish Minerals Group

lithium

first European lithium mine

battery production