Rapid growth in the battery sector

The need of batteries will grow more than ten-fold globally from 2015 to 2020. The demand will increase particularly with the growth of electric traffic and renewable energy. It has been predicted that the total value of the European battery market will reach €250 billion by 2025.

Finland has the expertise and raw materials needed

More than 80 per cent of the world’s batteries are currently manufactured in Asia. There is a tendency to develop the manufacturing of long-life, safer batteries also in Europe.

Finland possesses solid expertise throughout the battery value chain: the mining industry, battery raw materials refinement, technologies and services relevant to battery production and use and the charging technology and recycling solutions.   

Finland is one of the few countries where all of the key minerals used in the production of lithium-ion batteries – cobalt, nickel, lithium and graphite – are found in the soil. Finland has everything needed for the creation of an important battery cluster that will help us to increase the value added in Finland.

Image: The business maturity of the stages of the battery value chain in Finland

Finland leads battery recycling research in Europe

Globally, battery recycling will become a major challenge in the future. The EU Commission has prepared a Strategic Action Plan on Batteries. The action plancomprises a comprehensive list of tangible measures for the development of an innovative, sustainable and competitive battery ecosystem. One of these measures is recycling in all the steps of the battery value chain, from materials to applications and products.

An EU pilot project is underway with the goal of recovering as much of the battery materials as possible for the use of battery manufacturing in a financially viable manner and thus integrating recycling and initial production. By the request of the European Commission, Finland has assumed responsibility of the development of battery recycling in Europe. This will also offer our companies a vantage point that will help in the development and offering our own solutions for these challenges. The battery recycling project is coordinated by Outotec in cooperation with the AaltoUniversity. Business Finland is strongly involved in the promotion of the project. Link to the projects website here: BATCircle

The activity objectives

The Batteries from Finland activity seeks to build networks that will help promote the involvement in the European and, consequently, the global battery network. This will also attract international investment in Finland. These activities contribute to the growth of expertise and international competence throughout the value chain, from the production of battery raw materials to the production of cells and the applications and services relevant to batteries.

The activation campaign launched by Business Finland in the Finnish battery sector seeks to:

• Create an internationally competitive business ecosystem in the battery sector in Finland.
• Help Finland to become the leading country in battery recycling expertise.
• Increase the offering by the companies in the sector and to connect Finnish players to the international networks and growing markets.
• Attract global battery cell, component and chemical manufacturers and their R&D&I centers to relocate in Finland.
• Ensure that advantage is taken of the Business Finland networks and services.

What does Batteries from Finland offer?

Batteries from Finland is aimed at growth-oriented companies and research organizations that work with battery materials, batteries, cells, battery applications or their recycling services.

 What we offer:

• Contacts and international networks
• Funding for companies seeking growth
• International visibility
• Synergies from cooperation. Cooperation also helps to expand the product and service offering

We are currently focusing on the following strategic themes:

• Battery system engineering
• Developing battery applications for harsh use
• Traceability in the value chain
• Battery safety
• Large scale recycling of lithium batteries
• Battery raw materials and chemicals

You can find more detailed descriptions of the themes in the recently published battery industry study, pages 62-66.