00:00Europe's first complete lithium mine begins operating in Sivajavi in western Finland.
00:07The strategic resource is critical for manufacturing modern electronics.
00:12At a cost of around €783 million, Project Keleba was mainly funded by South African mining giant Sibani Steelwater and
00:23the European Union.
00:24Hanyu Hotala, CEO of Keleba, explains the full production chain to produce battery-quality lithium.
00:32We are now extracting spodumane ore. It contains some 1 to 1.3 percent lithium oxide.
00:43Then we transport it to the concentrator and there the lithium oxide content is increased to 5 percent.
00:52And further to lithium refinery and there the lithium concentrate is produced as a battery-quality lithium hydroxide.
01:05Meanwhile, locals from a nearby town say they have mixed feelings about the mine,
01:11as they recognize it is good for employment but worry about the environmental impact.
01:16The Keleba project covers more than 500 square kilometers and six other mining sites are planned in the area.
01:23Some compare the role of lithium nowadays to the role that oil played at the start of the 20th century.
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