Finnish Battery Chemicals submits environmental assessment of BPED facility to coordinating authority

Finnish Battery Chemicals has submitted an amendment concerning a bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) technology-based facility to the environmental assessment for battery material production in Hamina, Finland. The amendment provides information on the BPED facility for use in the subsequent environmental permitting process.

There are many industrial plants already in operation or planned to be established in Finland which generate industrial discharge water rich in sodium sulphate. An implementation of circular economy solution based on BPED technology would enable an improved utilisation of sodium sulphate.

The circular economy solution is being prepared by a JV

The joint venture of Finnish Minerals Group and Adven Oy – Adven-FMG Sodium Sulphate Solutions Oy – aims to develop an industrial scale solution for the recycling of sodium sulphate in effluent into commodity chemicals for the industry. The solution is planned to be offered to industry as a service.

Adven-FMG Sodium Sulphate Solutions is getting ready to set up a unit for industrial-scale piloting and demonstration during 2023. The recently submitted environmental assessment concerns the first commercial-scale BPED facility that the company is planning to establish in the port of Hamina, Finland. Adven-FMG Sodium Sulphate Solutions will prepare and submit an environmental permit application for the facility on the basis of the environmental assessment, and it will also be the possible investor of the facility.

The pCAM plant would supply feed for the BPED facility

Feed for the BPED facility would be provided by CNGR Finland’s precursor cathode active material (pCAM) production plant, also planned to be established in Hamina. The aim of the development work is to return process chemicals from the BPED process for the reuse at the pCAM plant. The CAM plant that is planned to be established in Kotka does not generate direct sodium sulphate discharge into receiving waterbodies.

The environmental assessment of the BPED facility will help Adven-FMG Sodium Sulphate Solutions proceed with this development work. CNGR Finland’s pCAM plant project is progressing in parallel with the BPED process plant project, however, no investment decision has been made yet on either of the projects.

For more information:
Vesa Koivisto, SVP, Battery Value Chain
Finnish Minerals Group
firstname.lastname(at)mineralsgroup.fi
+358 50 453 6322

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