Anglo & Finnish Minerals Group Boost Finland’s Battery Strategy
Anglo American Platinum Limited (Amplats) and Finnish Minerals Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), signalling their commitment to explore ways to support Finland’s battery strategy through joint initiatives. The agreement aims to strengthen the partnership between the two companies and help Finland become a leading producer of battery materials.
Patricia Rwafa
Finnish Minerals Group is a holding and development company that manages the Finnish Government’s mining industry shareholdings and supports the development of the Finnish battery value chain.
According to Alison Atki, Projects and Development Director at Anglo American, “Finland is a highly attractive investment destination and has a strong heritage in both mining and innovation. We look forward to working with the Finnish Minerals Group, whose mission is to responsibly maximize the value of Finnish minerals, to explore the wealth of opportunities that our agreement could offer.
“This agreement further strengthens our commitment to Finland as well as to our Sakatti project, a true polymetallic orebody very much aligned with Finland’s and the EU’s critical minerals priorities. Sakatti is designed as the next generation of FutureSmart Mining™, building on what we have learned in terms of minimal surface footprint and using technology and innovation to deliver ever-better environmental and social outcomes while producing essential raw materials needed to transition to a greener, low-carbon energy future.”
“Finland provides a stable and secure source of many of the metals and minerals needed for the world to decarbonize. With an increasing number of countries prioritizing sustainable access to responsibly sourced critical raw materials, Finland is well positioned in terms of its natural resources and the country’s investment across the entire battery value chain, from mineral extraction to recycling,” he said.
In an agreement between Alison Atki, Projects and Development Director at Anglo American, and Jani Kiuru, Senior Vice President, Raw Materials at Finnish Minerals Group, they said: “Exploring joint opportunities with Anglo American is a natural choice for us as they already know the Finnish operational environment. In addition, the company has a long history in mining and is a forerunner in sustainability. We believe this collaboration reinforces both parties by combining local and global know-how in sustainability and technological development, thus maximizing the value of Finnish minerals responsibly. We see there is a mutual understanding of the vast possibilities and importance of Finnish minerals for the green transition.”
“As a Finnish state-owned company with a mandate to foster the Finnish mining and battery industry, Finnish Minerals Group is a natural potential partner for Anglo American in Finland. The company’s main assets are: Terrafame, a subsidiary that produces nickel and cobalt sulphates; project Sokli, a phosphate and rare earths deposit; and a 20% interest in Keliber, a battery-grade lithium project aiming to start production in 2025. Additionally, Finnish Minerals Group is advancing several greenfield investments further downstream in the battery value chain,” he said.