Metso expands its process piloting capabilities in Finland to meet the needs of the battery industry

Metso has modernized its pilot facility at Metso Research Center in Pori, Finland, with expanded capabilities for lithium hydroxide (LiOH) and other battery chemicals process testing. The unique pilot line serves mining and battery industry customers processing battery minerals. In connection with the expansion, Metso has also opened a battery materials precursor (pCAM) pilot plant, available now for customer trials.

“Pilot run requests for battery minerals like lithium, nickel and cobalt have increased significantly during the last three years. Currently, we are working on several battery black mass recycling and precursor projects and have several lithium and other battery chemicals project pilots on our laboratory schedule,” says Janne Karonen, Director for Hydrometallurgical Research & Development at Metso.

Process simulations are essential in the piloting phase, supporting process and equipment design, training and plant operation. For this purpose, Metso uses its unique metallurgical digital twin Geminex^TM, which is based on the company’s proprietary HSC-Sim software for predictive process simulations. Pilot plant and real-time plant data enrich the simulation model to accurately predict plant behavior.

Metso has developed sustainable hard rock lithium soda leaching technologies for 20 years already. The pilot facility expansion complements Metso’s frontrunning piloting capabilities for minerals processing and metals refining, e enabling minerals and battery industry customers to have end-to-end testing, piloting services and technology and equipment deliveries from one supplier.

Metso’s expertise in battery minerals covers the extraction of lithium from brines and pegmatite ores up to battery-grade lithium salts. These patented processes are designed to meet the needs for high-end lithium-ion battery chemicals production. Metso can provide sustainable technology and equipment for the entire lithium, nickel and cobalt production chain – from the mine to battery materials and black mass recycling – with project scopes ranging from equipment packages to plant deliveries.

Find out more about the Metso offering in battery metals on our website.

Further information:

Janne Karonen, Director, Research & Development, Hydrometallurgy, Metso, tel. +358 400 362 440, email: janne.karonen(at)mogroup.com

Helena Marjaranta, Vice President, Communications and Brand, Metso, tel. +358 20 484 3212, email: helena.marjaranta(at)mogroup.com

Metso is a frontrunner in providing sustainable technologies, end-to-end solutions and services for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries globally. By helping our customers increase their productivity, improve their energy and water efficiency and environmental performance with our process and product expertise, we are the partner for positive change.

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Metso employs over 16,000 people in close to 50 countries and sales for 2022 were about EUR 5.3 billion. The company is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. metso.com, x.com/metsoofficial