Endress+Hauser supplies instruments for the pioneering Sibanye-Stillwater's Keliber lithium project

The contract with Keliber Technology Oy covers project services and all field instrumentation for Sibanye-Stillwater’s Keliber lithium refinery in Kokkola and the concentrator plant, which will be located on the border of the municipalities of Kaustinen and Kronoby.

Central Ostrobothnia has some of the most significant lithium deposits in Europe – and the construction of a refinery to produce lithium hydroxide is underway. The aim of the Keliber lithium refinery is to be the first in Europe to start producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide from its own ore.

The demand for battery chemicals is constantly growing due to factors such as the increased popularity of electric vehicles. The new lithium refinery will produce 15,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate per year, which is enough for more than 300,000 electric cars. The current Mineral Reserves of the Keliber lithium project enable at least 16 years of production.

Endress+Hauser will supply all the field instruments for the lithium refinery. In fact, the new production facility will be one of Endress+Hauser’s largest deliveries in Finland.

“This is a major project in terms of the number of instruments. It is great to be comprehensively involved in such a groundbreaking project," says Kari Isometsä, who is responsible for the customer account at Endress+Hauser.

Endress+Hauser will start the instrument deliveries in spring 2024. Production is scheduled to start in 2025.

The partnership between Sibanye-Stillwater’s Keliber lithium project and Endress+Hauser includes project services to support engineering, equipment selection and logistics. This means working closely with both the end customer and the engineering office right from the beginning.

“Through our project services, we ensure that the best possible measurement technologies are selected for the plant. To achieve this, we need both a broad product portfolio and comprehensive project and process knowledge,” Isometsä says.

Endress+Hauser has experience in large turnkey deliveries and project services for plants in the same industry, both in Finland and abroad.

“We are supporting Sibanye-Stillwater’s Keliber lithium project closely. It is great to be working together to develop the most modern battery chemical plant in Finland, which will also have a significant impact on the national battery strategy,” Isometsä adds.