Terrafame well positioned to supply for the greenest batteries on the planet

Terrafame’s carbon footprint is the lowest of nickel producers globally. Ore reserve update confirms a secure supply of metals for decades.

Terrafame held today an open webinar focused on the company’s road map for production of battery grade nickel sulphates.

Terrafame’s technical team presented the rationale behind technology choices, and the participants were able to take a virtual tour of the company’s new battery chemicals plant. The event was hosted by Terrafame CEO Joni Lukkaroinen.

 

Key takeaways from the webinar include

Europe’s largest nickel ore reserves enable decades of operation

Terrafame has in November 2020 updated its mineral resource and ore reserve estimates in accordance with JORC Code (2012). The measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources amount to 1,499 Mt, containing 3,879,920 t nickel. Compared to previous update from 2018, contained nickel amount has increased 19.4%. Our ore reserves and mineral resources will enable operations for several decades.

Optimal raw material and low carbon footprint for clean battery production

Terrafame is currently in the business of producing and selling raw material to the battery chemicals industry. The company will now start producing battery chemicals itself.

“Moving forward in the value chain is a natural choice for Terrafame. Our current product is an optimal raw material for battery chemicals. Furthermore, we use bioleaching for producing the raw material, which enables the lowest carbon footprint in the industry. This is highly valued by the electric vehicle sector, in which the main objective is reducing CO2 emissions of transportation,” says Terrafame CEO Joni Lukkaroinen.

Battery chemicals plant to be commissioned in early 2021

Terrafame’s battery chemicals plant will be one of the biggest nickel sulphate production units globally when commissioned in early 2021. The new plant moves Terrafame downstream in the refinery chain.

Nickel sulphate production capacity will be 170,000 tons per year, which is estimated to be enough for about 1,000,000 electric cars a year.

“Our selected strategy of producing metals by low-carbon bioleaching method and refining the metals into battery chemicals with our fully integrated production site gives us a good position for leading the sustainable battery materials industry in Europe,” Lukkaroinen concludes.

 

Further information:

Joni Lukkaroinen, CEO, Terrafame Ltd, tel. +358 (0)20 713 0890, joni.lukkaroinen@terrafame.fi

 

 

Terrafame’s purpose is to enhance low-carbon mobility with responsible battery chemicals. Terrafame's integrated production process – which begins in its own mine and ends with battery chemicals on one industrial site – is a unique and energy-efficient entity that provides customers with a transparent, traceable, and truly European battery chemicals production chain. Terrafame will start producing battery chemicals in early 2021 and the new production plant is one of the world's largest production lines for battery chemicals used in EV batteries. The carbon footprint of the nickel sulphate produced by the plant is more than 60% lower than the industry average.

Terrafame Ltd. was founded in 2015 and its production facilities are located in Sotkamo, Finland. In 2019, Terrafame’s net sales amounted to EUR 310 million, and the company's industrial site employed approximately 1,500 people, of which around half were employees of its partner companies. www.terrafame.com