A battery material factory for EUR 800 million will be built in Kotka – the Chinese are already flashing a new investment

Eagle A long -planned battery material factory will be built, says a state -owned company Finland’s ore. The factory produces cathode activity material needed for the production of lithium -ion batteries.

The value of the investment is approximately EUR 800 million and the factory first employs 270 people. The construction of the factory will be launched during the spring. The aim is to start commercial production in 2027.

Factory Builds Easpring Finland New Materials, founded last year, with 30 percent of Finland’s ore deposition and 70 percent Beijing Easpring Material Technology.

“If everything is progressing smoothly and as planned, we are ready to invest rapidly to expand production. The ore of Finland is an important partner for us because it owns raw material producers in Finland,” says the CEO of Beijing Easpring Material Technology Guang Zhibo.

Finland’s ore base is the largest shareholder in Terrafame, a metal and mining company. In addition, it owns 20 % of the lithium mining company Keliber.

“Finland has been developing green industry for many years and is available here with green energy, which is also important to us. Factory construction means we can serve our European customers,” Zhibo says.

Finnish The ore started is a state-owned special task company that develops the mining and battery industry. It seeks to promote electrification of traffic and the abandonment of fossil fuels.

CEO of the company Matti Hietanen emphasizes that Beijing Easpring Material Technology is the world’s leading companies as a developer and producer of cathodia.

“The factory is very important for the value chain of both the Finnish and the European battery industry, as cathode activity material has not been manufactured before in Finland. If all plans are implemented in 2030 only half of the battery materials in Europe will be manufactured in Europe.

In addition to funding from the factory shareholders, it is sought for external funding from the clean transition for the support program for the clean transition.

In order to implement the project, the Finnish state is equivalent to EUR 100 million in Finland’s ore mode

“This is a really big deal for the city of Kotka, but also from the point of view of Europe as a whole, a significant investment in the battery industry,” says Kotka Mayor Esa Sirviö.

Factory The environmental permit was processed by the Regional Government Office of Southern Finland in the Green Transition Priority Procedure. The permit became final in December 2024.

According to Hietanen, the factory is extensively utilized by high -tech, which makes it the most modern battery material factory in Europe. Production is designed so that the expansion was easy.

Approximately 80 hectares are reserved for the factory from the Kotka Keltakallio industrial area, which in January a lease was concluded for 27.8 hectares needed for the first phase of the factory.

“The progress of the Kotka project to the construction phase is a very positive news, and it helps to create a battery value chain in Finland,” says the European and Ownership Minister Joakim Strand (r) in the bulletin.

Also CEO of the Confederation of Finnish Industries Jyri Häkämies Keeps the factory investment very positive for Finland and especially the battery industry.

“The value chain of the Finnish battery industry is not ready yet and it is good to continue this.