Sibanye Stillwater has received a key environmental permit for its Keliber lithium mining and processing project in Finland, clearing the path for a facility to supply the European battery market, the company said on Monday.
Sibanye said the environmental approvals for the project’s Rapasaari mine and Paivaneva concentrator it received from the regional administrative agency on Dec. 28 include the right to start operations despite the existence of any appeals.
The diversified South African miner took control of Finnish battery chemicals maker Keliber last October when it raised its shareholding to 85%, after acquiring an initial stake in February.
“We are pleased to have received this key environmental permit soon after being granted approval for the Keliber lithium refinery in Kokkola,” Sibanye Chief Executive Neal Froneman said in a statement.
The refinery “is preparing for the construction phase to start within the following weeks”, he added.
In November the Sibanye board approved 588 million euro ($634.2 million) in spending that will start with the construction of a lithium hydroxide refinery in Finland’s Kokkola industrial park, from where the company plans to feed into the European battery sector.
Sibanye, a major gold and platinum group metals producer, has recently diversified into battery minerals mining and processing. Apart from Keliber, Sibanye is partnering Australia’s Ioneer Ltd to jointly develop the Rhyolite Ridge lithium project in the United States.
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