South African mining company builds lithium plant in Finland

South African mining company Sibanye-Stillwater has announced that it has begun construction of a lithium hydroxide plant in Finland's Kokkola industrial park on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia.

In October of this year, Sibanye-Stillwater increased its stake in Keliber, the Finnish company that supports this project, to 85%. According to the South African company, the investment volume will be 558 million euros, of which 359 million euros will be for the construction of a lithium factory.

In the first phase, the capacity will be 15,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year, with the potential to increase to 37,000 tons per year. The business is planned to be put into operation before the end of 2024.