Keliber
| Type | Osakeyhtiö |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mining |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Seitovirta Mika Ilkka (Chairman) Hannu Hautala (CEO) |
| Revenue |  €12 million (2024)[1] |
| €−11 million (2024)[1] | |
Number of employees | 105 (2024)[1] |
| Parent | Sibanye-Stillwater (80%) Finnish Minerals Group (20%) |
Keliber Oy is a Finnish mining company.
Keliber has been a subsidiary of the South African mining company Sibanye-Stillwater since 2022, which owns 80% of the shares. The remaining shares are owned by the state-owned Finnish Minerals Group.
History
Keliber was founded in 1989 as a limited company. The Norwegian Nordic Mining ASA bought 68% of Keliber in 2008.
In 2017, the company raised €5 million from domestic investors through a share issue.[2]
In 2018, Keliber completed a definitive feasibility study based on the production of battery-grade lithium carbonate, and in 2019 it published an updated feasibility study that shifted the planned end product to battery-grade lithium hydroxide.[3]
In late 2022, Sibanye-Stillwater approved the implementation of the Keliber lithium project, and construction of the lithium refinery in Kokkola began in March 2023.[4] Keliber officially began lithium mining on 12 February 2026.[5]
Operations
Lithium mining
The European Commission granted the Keliber lithium project "strategic project" status under the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act.[6] Keliber owns several lithium deposits across Central Ostrobothnia, in Western Finland on the Gulf of Bothnia.[6]
The Keliber lithium mining is expected to be the first lithium mining and processing operation in Europe, producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide.[6][5] Keilber estimates an annual production of 15,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate for at least 18 years.[6] Their quarry is located at Syväjärvi, and then the mined resources are moved to a concentrator in Päiväneva, and lastly moved to Kokkola chemical plant where it is refined into lithium hydroxide for sale to battery manufacturers.[5]
Keliber plans to open six other mining areas in the Kaustinen, Kokkola and Kronoby areas.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 "Company search Keliber Oy (0752546-7)". Kauppalehti. 2024.
- ↑ "Keliberin osakeanti keräsi rahoitusta 5 miljoonaa euroa – Osuuskunta PPO merkitsi annista puolet". Keliber. 12 July 2018.
- ↑ "Updated Definitive Feasibility Study: Lithium hydroxide production significantly improves profitability of Keliber's Lithium Project". News Powered by Cision. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
- ↑ "Finland: EU and Sibanye-Stillwater, through its Keliber lithium project, join forces in €150 million deal to improve EU access to and resilience in battery materials". European Investment Bank. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
- 1 2 3 4 "Finland opens Europe's first lithium mine". Yle. Yle. 12 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Keliber lithium project". Keliber. Sibanye-Stillwater. 27 March 2026.