FLSmidth will provide process, layout and mechanical engineering services at the concentrator, a project that aims to convert Finnish hard rock lithium ore to battery-grade lithium hydroxide.

The concentrator will be built in the Päiväneva area, which is located on the border of the municipalities of Kaustinen and Kruunupyy, and within the immediate vicinity of lithium deposits.

At the 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. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

"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," says Hannu Hautala, CEO of Keliber.

"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 programme," comments Mikko Keto, Mining President at FLSmidth.

Keliber noted that it is also cooperatiing FLSmidth on basic engineering for high temperature conversion in the rotary kiln at Keliber's chemical plant located in Kokkola, which "will soon see the completion".

Last June, Keliber and the company that was then Outotec, now Metso Outotec, signed an agreement regarding the basic engineering of the Päiväneva concentrator.

Metso Outotec is designing the concentrator process and process equipment for the production flow sheet: ore crushing, sorting, grinding and concentration.