Tag Archives: Kokkola

The Copper Mark welcomes moly, nickel and zinc producers to assurance framework

Base metals, Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Copper Mark, the assurance framework to promote responsible practices and demonstrate the contribution of the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc industries to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has welcomed its first six non-copper participants seeking assurance against its framework.

The addition of these new sites follows the launch of the Copper Mark’s pilot implementation scheme for molybdenum, nickel and zinc producers last October. This expansion reflects the deepening collaboration between the Copper Mark, the International Molybdenum Association (IMOA), the Nickel Institute (NI) and the International Zinc Association (IZA) to promote sustainable and responsible production and sourcing practices within and across these critical transition mineral supply chains, it said.

These sites include:

  • Boliden Mineral AB – Kokkola (copper and zinc);
  • Boliden Mineral AB – Harjavalta (nickel);
  • Freeport-McMoRan Inc – Climax (molybdenum);
  • Freeport-McMoRan Inc – Henderson (molybdenum);
  • Molymet – Molymet Belgium NV (molybdenum); and
  • Molymet – Complejo IndustrialMolynor S.A. (molybdenum).

The pilot scheme will run to July 2023 and includes the independent third-party site assessment of the participating sites against the Copper Mark Responsible Production Criteria, the Risk Readiness Assessment. The site may receive the Molybdenum Mark, Nickel Mark and/or Zinc Mark if the independent assessment confirms that all criteria are fully or partially met. A full launch for producers of molybdenum, nickel, and zinc is planned for later in 2023.

The six new sites join the Copper Mark in addition to 16 existing copper-producing participants that also produce at least one of the additional metals. This shows the strong overlap between the producers of copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc and the efficiencies gained through the multi-metal partnership, according to The Copper Mark.

Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director of the Copper Mark, said: “We are excited to be welcoming the first six molybdenum, nickel and zinc sites to participate in our assurance framework. It is vital that these resources, critical for supporting the low-carbon global transition, are produced and sourced in ways that meet increasing government and end-user demands for responsible business. Our collaboration with IMOA, NI, and IZA will help to further increase the percentage of responsibly produced copper, nickel, molybdenum, and zinc available to society.”

Eva Model, Secretary-General of IMOA, said: “We are delighted to see such a positive response to the Molybdenum Mark pilot from our IMOA members. We are proud that our collaboration with Copper Mark on the Molybdenum Mark will help our members increase the percentage of responsibly sourced molybdenum available in society, as well as enable them to meet market demands and increasing regulatory requirements relating to responsible sourcing.”

Andrew Green, Executive Director of IZA, said: “We celebrate these first six participants for representing the industry’s commitment to providing independent, transparent, and credible assurance for all stakeholders. This collaborative milestone recognizes that we all share accountability for enabling responsible business and sustainable development.”

Hudson Bates, President of NI, said: “We are pleased with the steady progress of the pilot scheme and that the Copper Mark framework is being adopted by molybdenum, nickel and zinc producers. The Nickel Institute is delighted to have been part of the development of the Nickel Mark. It is a valuable tool for the nickel value chain and other stakeholders to ensure that nickel produced sustainably can play its vital role in the energy transition and value chain initiatives promoting responsibility.”

FLSmidth to provide process engineering input for Keliber’s lithium project

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

Keliber says it has appointed FLSmidth to provide process engineering services at its Päiväneva concentrator plant in Finland.

The two parties have reportedly agreed on the provision of process, layout and mechanical engineering services at the concentrator.

Hannu Hautala, CEO of Keliber, said: “We have chosen a partner with considerable experience in the mining industry, including lithium production. Our goal is to build a world-class plant that utilises the best available technology, which means safe, environmentally friendly and cost-optimised production.”

Mikko Keto, Mining President at FLSmidth, added: “We are delighted to receive this process engineering order from Keliber. It is a strong proof point of our know-how in the lithium arena, where we have been a leading provider of high-performing equipment, solutions and expertise for well over 20 years. We now look forward to this next step of designing an efficient, world class, concentrator flowsheet, in line with our MissionZero program.”

The award of the contract regarding the concentrator plant continues Keliber’s cooperation with FLSmidth, which will soon also see the completion of the basic engineering of high temperature conversion rotary kiln technology at Keliber’s chemical plant, located in Kokkola.

The concentrator will be built in the Päiväneva area of Finland, which is located on the border of the municipalities of Kaustinen and Kruunupyy, and within the immediate vicinity of Keliber’s lithium deposits. At the concentrator plant, ore will be processed into spodumene concentrate, which will then be transported to the chemical plant in Kokkola, where it will be further processed into lithium hydroxide.

Glencore and Umicore sign up to cobalt hydroxide supply pact

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As part of a new agreement with Umicore, Glencore has agreed to supply cobalt hydroxide from its KCC and Mutanda operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Umicore’s battery materials value chain.

Umicore has assessed each of these operations as fully compliant with its sustainable procurement framework for cobalt, which excludes artisanally-mined cobalt from its supply chain, as well as any form of child labour, the companies said.

The cobalt units will be shipped to Umicore’s cobalt refineries globally, including the Kokkola refinery (Finland), which Umicore said last week it would acquire from Freeport Cobalt for a total consideration of $150 million. The Kokkola transaction is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

Glencore produced 42,200 t of cobalt in 2018, the majority of which came from its 65%-owned KCC operation and Mutanda.

“The agreement guarantees Umicore’s security of supply for a substantial part of its longer-term cobalt needs for its expanding global battery materials value chain,” the companies said. “The agreement also provides Glencore long-term market access for its cobalt raw materials in line with Umicore’s growing cathode materials sales.”

Marc Grynberg, CEO of Umicore, said: “Our partnership with Glencore and the acquisition of the Kokkola refinery which has just been announced demonstrate our ability to execute our growth strategy for cathode materials with consistency. The agreement also reconfirms our strong commitment to promote a sustainable battery materials value chain globally.

“I am convinced that our battery cell and automotive customers will value our commitment to support their growth.”

Nico Paraskevas, Head of Marketing, Copper & Cobalt, Glencore, said: “We are pleased to enter into this long-term partnership with Umicore in the fast growing electric vehicle market which further endorses Glencore’s important role in supplying the materials that enable the energy and mobility transition.”