According to Sari Koivisto, this is the most advanced project in Europe for the production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from its own ore.
- This means that we have our own production chain from exploration, mine and concentrator to refinery. We want to develop operations and production here for the long term. Our two existing mines, the open-cast mines at Syväjärvi and Rapasaari, have a life cycle of about 18 years. We also have several deposits in the area that we are exploring," he said. The Keliber lithium refinery in Kokkola is planned to produce about 15 000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate per year, enough battery chemicals to power 300 000 electric cars.

Production starts in Syväjärvi, then Rapasaari

- We currently employ more than 200 people. At full production, when the concentrator and refinery are up and running, the number of employees will be around 260. In addition, through E. Hartikainen, which provides mining services, about 100 people will be employed. Indirectly, the employment impact is about 700 jobs. The investment in the construction phase has amounted to some €783 million, including a €500 million green loan.
Our shareholder is the South African global mining company Sibanye-Stillwater, which owns 79.8% of the shares. The Finnish Minerals Group owns about 20%, and there are a few other small investors. Production will start first at Syväjärvi, followed by Rapasaari.

- My own mining team will soon grow from seven to ten employees. The team members have moved to live in the area from all over Finland, including Oulu, Helsinki, Sodankylä and Joensuu. There is a clear desire to move further afield for such a good project," Koivisto said with satisfaction.

Sari Koivisto, mining manager of the Sibanye-Stillwater Keliber lithium project, at a seminar on subcontracting for the SEMUKAS project in Kaustinen. Juha Jääskelä, Managing Director of Witas, in the centre, and Petri Jylhä, Development Director of the Kaustinen Region, on the right. Photo.

Procurement from the region over €40 million

The enrichment plant was completed three kilometres from the mine. According to Koivisto, the concentrator will be ramped up in stages now that there is enough ore in stock. The decision to start production of lithium hydroxide meeting technical quality requirements at the Keliber lithium refinery, which will be completed in the Kokkola High Industrial Area, will be taken by the end of the fourth quarter of 2026. The construction phase in Kaustinen employed several local companies both directly and as subcontractors. In the Kaustinen sub-region, the direct procurement of the construction phase during 2023-2025 amounted to more than €40 million, with significant indirect effects. During the construction phase, the project employed more than 1000 people at the same time.
- Our goal is to be a world-class facility in terms of safety and production.
After mining operations are completed, the areas will be landscaped and reworked, which is why we have dumped peat and soil, among other things, so that they can be used for landscaping in due course. In order to secure this operation, securities have been put up: for the Rapasaari mine this means just under five million euros and for Syväjärvi just under two million euros," said Sari Koivisto.

The mining contractor values the region's diverse business network

Teemu Hartikainen , Chief Operating Officer of E. Hartikainen, a mining contractor for the Keliber lithium project in Joensuu, praised the region's diverse network of companies.
- From an Eastern Finland perspective, this is a really growing and vibrant region. The local service network has really developed well in recent years, and accommodation capacity, for example, is well established. Similarly, critical services are functioning, which is not a given everywhere. For example, car repair services are important so that site vehicles do not have to be transported to another location to be repaired.
- For us as a contractor, services such as sports and welfare services are also important. They are part of the overall package to ensure that workers want to work in the area. If an area is not attractive, it will not be easy to move there," Mr Hartikainen stressed.


E. Hartikainen's Chief Operating Officer Teemu Hartikainen stressed that services such as sports and well-being services have an impact on the willingness of employees to come to work in the area. Photo.

He said his company was happy to listen to what service providers in the area could offer them. Even if there is no immediate business, the need for the service may arise later. Then it is easy to act when you know the address.
- At Sibanye-Stillwater's Keliber Lithium project, we have had a site staff strength of up to 130 workers. The proportion of local labour is about 30%, which is quite representative of our average in Kainuu, for example, where we operate in three different mining areas. Hartikainen says the company will continue to use local subcontractors when the need arises.
- What we expect from subcontractors in particular is fully in line with what our customers expect from us: safety, security of supply and quality. Nothing more than that, you just have to understand the requirements of the environment, which are different in each sector.
E. Hartikainen currently operates in six mining areas in Finland, with headquarters and a central repair shop in Joensuu.
- This year, the business is set to expand beyond Finland's borders. In January, we published a conditional multi-year mining service contract in Northern Norway, where operations are expected to start this year. Three years ago, E. Hartikainen sold its car business, where the company represented more than ten car brands and was a very well-known player, especially in Eastern Finland. Today, the family business is entirely focused on civil engineering, and in particular on mining customers. Originally a one-man, one-machine company, its turnover has grown to around EUR 130 million. The company has around 500 employees and around 300 machine units.