General manager Olle Sirén in Nordic Mining's Finnish subsidiary Keliber Oy has been awarded InnoFinland's regional prize for Central Ostrobothnia for 2009. The prize is awarded for development of an environmentally friendly and energy efficient production method for lithium carbonate with use of biogas made from biological waste. As result of the regional award, Keliber is candidate for the national InnoFinland prize which will be awarded in December by the president of Finland.

 

Keliber's production method is in many ways unique. Biogas from waste is used both as energy and rawmaterial in a continous production process for high-purity lithium carbonate. The processing method which has been developed and tested in close cooperation with Outotec Oyj, has interesting perspectives related to downstream processing of lithium-based chemicals, i.a. for use in modern batteries.

 

"The prize award is an acknowledgement of Keliber's production process and a solid statement that lithium production with use of biogas from waste has environmental advantages and provides an efficient combined solution," says Keliber's general manager Olle Sirén. "It is of vital importance that the positive synergies between production of lithium based on local mineral resources and biogas based on regional waste can be realised in integrated solutions in order to secure efficient utilisation of resources and industrial activity. The authorities have important roles and responsibilities to secure integrated and good solutions", comments Mr. Sirén.

 

InnoFinland is a cooperation initiative between the government and industrial organisations in Finland with purpose to promote innovation and development.

 

For questions please contact CFO Lars K. Grøndahl, telephone +47 - 901 60 941.

 

 

Oslo, 23 November 2009