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Kymenlaakso info session for contractors raised widespread interest

About 40 companies and almost 100 people registered for the info session organised on battery material projects.

Published

16. June 2021

A lot of work has already been done to promote the establishment of battery material production plants in Hamina and Kotka, but plenty of work is still ahead if and when the projects move from the feasibility study phase to the investment phase as planned. The partners are currently still working on the feasibility studies.

“Finnish Minerals Group project company Finnish Battery Chemicals acts as the project developer and has been coordinating the feasibility studies between various parties. Provided that the study phase progresses as expected, Finnish Minerals Group and its partners plan to establish new independent companies to take the projects forward,” said Vesa Koivisto, SVP, Finnish Minerals Group.

Koivisto also acts as the CEO of Finnish Battery Chemicals. With him at the info session was the company’s Project Director Timo Strengell.

“So far, the projects have been mainly visible to the public via the environmental impact assessment work. As we are approaching the Finnish summer holiday season, this is a good time to discuss the projects from the perspective of procurement opportunities,” said Strengell. “It is important for potential contractors to start to consider what they could have to offer to these projects.”

In practice, the pCAM plant project is already approaching the end of its feasibility study phase. The study phase for the CAM plant project is also progressing at a good pace.

Companies invited to share their expertise

The initial construction phase of a battery material production plant is not much different from any other plant construction project, except relative to the size of the project. From the start, the projects would be large-scale.

According to Timo Strengell, the first steps would be preparing the plot for construction as well as earthworks and building the foundations. The next step is putting up the building frames and partitions, followed by installation work. Various services related to maintenance, logistics and storage would also be needed. Once in operation, the plants would most probably be using real estate, security, cleaning and IT services as well.

In addition to sharing their expertise, potential service providers are expected to comply with the relevant corporate responsibility obligations.

The Act on the Contractor's Obligations and Liability when Work is Contracted Out lays down provisions on, for example, taxes and employer’s obligations, and companies interested in working on the plant projects are required to meet these statutory requirements. In addition, Finnish Minerals Group has published on its website ‘Corporate responsibility principles for suppliers of goods and services’.

“We are confident that there are competent, local companies also in Kymenlaakso. Once the plant projects reach the investment phase, potential business partners can submit their registration for the lists of contractors for the projects. More information on practical implementation will be provided on the website of Finnish Minerals Group and through the regional development company Cursor,” said Strengell.

Preliminary agreements for the plots have been signed

Kotka-Hamina regional development company Cursor Oy and Finnish Battery Chemicals organised an info session for contractors on 16 June 2021 at the Maritime Centre Vellamo and via a live stream.

On the same day, Finnish Battery Chemicals and the Cities of Kotka and Hamina signed the preliminary agreements on the industrial plots. The plot intended for the pCAM plant is located near the deep-water port in Hamina, and the plot for the CAM plant in the Keltakallio industrial site in Kotka.

 

Further information for contractors:

Timo Strengell, Project Director, Finnish Battery Chemicals Oy, +358 40 738 4860, timo.strengell(at)batterychemicals.fi
Finnish Minerals Group’s Corporate responsibility principles for suppliers of goods and services

Terms used in the text:
Precursor material – preliminary stage of the cathode active material used in lithium-ion batteries. Also referred to as precursor cathode active material, or pCAM.
Cathode active material – a powdery end product used to manufacture cathodes, the most valuable part of the battery cell, in cell plants. Abbreviated as CAM.

 

The basic mission of Finnish Minerals Group is to responsibly maximise the value of Finnish minerals. We manage the state’s mining industry holdings and strive to develop the domestic value chain of lithium-ion batteries. In addition, we are engaged in long-term technology development in the mining and battery industries. Through our work, we contribute to Europe moving towards electric transport and a more sustainable future. www.mineralsgroup.fi