EIA procedure to start on cell production plant for Kotka, Finland

Finnish Battery Chemicals Oy, a project company of Finnish Minerals Group, has submitted an EIA programme concerning a battery cell production plant to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Southeast Finland (ELY Centre), which acts as the project’s coordinating authority. The submitting of the programme launches the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure.

According to the EIA programme, the project will examine an implementation option with an annual production capacity of 60 GWh. In addition, a 0 option where the project is not implemented will be included. The planned capacity would meet the needs of up to more than one million fully electric cars annually.

The battery cell production plant is planned to be established in an approximately 140-hectare area in the Keltakallio industrial area in Kotka. The location is next to the CAM plant that is already planned in the same area.

”The cell production plant would entail a significant investment in the Kotka-Hamina region even on a national scale. Besides the cell production plant, the preparations for a precursor materials plant and a CAM plant are also underway in the region. These plants would give a considerable boost to the region’s economy for decades to come,” says Matti Hietanen, CEO of Finnish Minerals Group.

“The prevalence of electric cars in Europe is growing rapidly, and the battery value chain is developing at a fast pace. According to Hietanen, the cell production plant is a natural continuation to the other projects related to the development of the battery value chain.

In a cell production plant, cathode, anode, electrolyte and separator are assembled to manufacture battery cells. In the next phase of the battery value chain, at the assembly plant, ready-made cells are combined into modules. Subsequently, modules are assembled to create battery systems, which can be used in, for example, electric cars and energy storage solutions.

The EIA programme process to advance during the winter

In the EIA programme, Finnish Battery Chemicals provides information about the project and its options and schedule, as well as presents a plan on what will be assessed during the EIA procedure, how the assessments will be carried out, and how participation and communication will be organised. The Southeast Finland ELY Centre will publish the EIA programme and information about the date of a public event at www.ymparisto.fi after becoming familiar with the programme.

The Southeast Finland ELY Centre will collect written opinions on the EIA programme and ensure that the necessary statements are sought regarding the programme. After that, the ELY Centre will issue its statement on the EIA programme to Finnish Battery Chemicals.

The EIA programme phase is followed by the drafting of the EIA report, which will outline the results of the assessments and examine the feasibility of the project from the perspective of environmental impact. The aim of Finnish Battery Chemicals is that the authorities’ reasoned conclusion on the EIA report would be available by summer 2024. Finnish Battery Chemicals will continue the negotiations regarding the cell production plant with its potential partner alongside the EIA procedure.

Modelling images:

Kotka cell production plant, aerial view
Kotka cell production plant, street view

More information for the media:

Matti Hietanen, CEO, Finnish Minerals Group
matti.hietanen(at)mineralsgroup.fi, +358 40 823 8806

The mission of Finnish Minerals Group is to responsibly maximise the value of Finnish minerals. We manage the State’s mining industry shareholdings and strive to develop the Finnish value chain of lithium-ion batteries. Through our work, we contribute to Europe moving towards electric transport and a more sustainable future. www.mineralsgroup.fi