Lithium-ion batteries enable the growth of electric transportation and the transition to clean energy. Demand for batteries is expected to grow more than tenfold by 2030, significantly increasing the need for critical metals used in their production. Fortum’s new recycling facility in Harjavalta will meet this demand, and it will significantly increase Fortum’s hydrometallurgical recycling capacity and enable the production of sustainable battery chemicals.
The new facility can efficiently recycle the valuable metals found in the lithium batteries used in electric cars, as well as various waste fractions generated in the battery production chain. Construction work on the new facility is underway and is scheduled for completion in early 2023. Upon completion, the facility will represent the latest technology and Fortum’s expertise in battery material recycling.
“This day is very special for us at Fortum. In a moment, we will lay the foundation stone for a facility that not only represents a new business opportunity for our company, but is an important step for all of us towards a cleaner future,” said Markus Rauramo in his keynote speech.
Minister Mika Lintilä emphasised in his speech the importance of the battery circular economy as an enabler of new business for the Finnish battery sector and praised Fortum’s pioneering work in the development of recycling technologies suitable for an industrial scale. “Responsible business and sustainable growth are at the heart of the national battery strategy. Fortum’s battery recycling facility in Harjavalta is an important part of building a sustainable and growing battery industry in Finland and throughout Europe.”
The recycling facility under construction in Harjavalta is a significant investment in sustainable solutions for the future. Rauramo estimated that the facility is an even more significant investment than its size. Tero Holländer, Head of Business Line, Batteries at Fortum, summed up the work of creating a new business as a long process that requires vision, courage, and resources – but, above all, cooperation. Even though it will be more than a year until the new facility is operational, a lot of work has already been put into the investment, for which the City of Harjavalta, Business Finland, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, partners, and Fortum’s battery business group received praise at the event.
