Battery Mineral Potential Surveys

Introduction

The battery industry is becoming an important business sector for Finland and recently there have been positive developments in the industry, for example, with BASF and Terrafame investing in nickel and cobalt sulphate chemicals production for batteries in Finland. GTK has decided to increase its presence in the battery clusters in Finland and Europe utilising its own areas of expertise. This presence is supported by the internally financed Battery minerals project that is part of the institution’s growing area of influence ‘Critical minerals’.

The project will produce geological datasets and interpretations related to battery mineral deposits and their utilisation in its operating areas. GTK’s existing information will be used and processed with modern methods (particularly geochemistry, geophysics, prospectivity modelling and 3D modelling), to identify areas with battery mineral potential and to select suitable sites.

The activities described above will increase our understanding of Co-(Ni-Cu-Au)- and Li and Graphite mineral systems and their potential, particularly in the project’s operational areas but also nationwide. The project also improves the databases benefitting the mining and exploration industry and aims to identify new zones with good mineral potential. This will lower the threshold for new investments in the mining sector and support regional development.

Datasets, models, interpretation´s and reports will be produced quickly and with a clear purpose for the use of the mining and exploration industry and to assist in the active marketing of Finland’s mineral potential. The project will work in close interaction with GTK’s other battery mineral research, including monitoring developments in battery technology. These advancements can affect, for example, the selection of the elements the project focuses on.

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