As at all our operations, Sibanye-Stillwater’s sustainability strategy and all environmental, social and governance policies and procedures will apply at the Keliber lithium project. Our conduct and approach will be guided by our iCARES values. See Sustainability.
These will be supported by Sibanye-Stillwater’s Code of Conduct.
Environment
The main principles of our environmental work are proactive consideration of environmental aspects and minimizing impacts. Central topics include, for example, water management, biodiversity, circular economy and chemical safety.
Our state-of-the-art production process, developed together with Metso, helps to minimize the environmental impacts of our production.
Once operations begin, the key focus of our environmental management work will be water management and ensuring the quality of natural water systems.
We have carried out extensive research related to the impacts of the mining areas, concentrator plant and lithium hydroxide refinery and their joint impacts on the water systems. We carefully follow all permit regulations and requirements, water system monitoring liabilities and metrics.
It is estimated that mining operations will not significantly affect the condition, eutrophy or acidity of the waters. The most significant impact on natural water systems is expected to be caused by explosive-based nitrogen.
Rainwater and snowmelt collected at the mines will be discharged first to wetland treatment for purification, after which the waters will be fed to natural water systems. Concentrator process waters will be fed to the concentrator’s wastewater treatment facility before the purified water is discharged into the natural water system.
The condition and functioning of the concentrator plant’s basins, dams and water management will be monitored according to monitoring programmes approved by the authorities.
The process water of both the concentrator and the lithium refinery will be recycled as much as possible.
Traffic safety is highly important to residents in the area, the Keliber lithium project and our transportation partners.
Planned mining areas are located far from inhabited areas and ore transport routes are planned so that they will minimise any disruption. Mining activities will be carried out during the day to minimise the impacts of any noise and ground vibration.
The spreading of noise from the concentrator has been modelled and will have only minor effects on the area. No significant noise impacts are expected from the Keliber lithium refinery.
Part of the waste rock generated during mining will be used in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of mining areas. Most of the waste rock will be deposited/stored in the mining area.
Our aim is to rehabilitate mining areas into biodiverse living environments once operations have ended. The pits will be filled with water and turned into lakes that can be used for alternative purposes such as recreation. Stockpiled soil will be used for landscaping and vegetation will be planted. Conditions in former mining areas, including the quality and quantity of water, will continue to be monitored upon the completion of operations.
Biodiversity is central to our sustainability programme. We will work in a manner that enables us to predict environmental impacts in the best possible way, enabling us to undertake timely mitigation and prevent even the smallest possible harm.
According to the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), the biodiversity impacts of the Keliber lithium project are expected to be low to moderate at most.
Among the species that may be affected, the moor frog (Rana arvalis) was detected during the mapping of Syväjärvi in 2014. The mining areas of Syväjärvi and Rapasaari also include the territory of the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Both species are protected by the Finnish Nature Conservation Act.
While estimates are that our operations will have only minor effects on the moor frog and golden eagle, we have, however, taken action to protect them. For example:
- new ponds have been built for moor frogs as safe breeding and resting places
- artificial nests have been built for golden eagles outside the mining area with planned feeding during the winter.
The EIA programme involves assessment of the impacts of the various options for implementation of mines and concentrator. The current state of the environment and the impact of future activities on the environment, soil and bedrock, surface and groundwater, flora and fauna were reviewed during the EIA process. Also investigated were potential impacts on the landscape, land use and community structures.
Environmental impact assessments of the Keliber lithium project:
- Expansion of operations at the Rapasaari mining area and changes in water management.
- Disposal of analcime sand at Hoikkaneva
- Keliber Lithium Refinery
- Expansion of the lithium province of Central Ostrobothnia (relocation of the concentrator to Päiväneva; increasing the production volumes of Syväjärvi, Rapasaari and Outovesi)
- Environmental impact assessments of the Syväjärvi, Rapasaari, Outovesi and Länttä deposits
- Kalavesi concentrator (has been moved to Päiväneva)
Documentation about EIA procedures is available in Finnish at ymparisto.fi
In accordance with the Finnish Environmental Protection Act (86/2000), an environmental permit is required for any mining operation. Environmental permits are granted by the Regional State Administrative Agencies and compliance with permit regulations is supervised by the regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
Keliber lithium refinery
The Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland (AVI) granted the environmental permit for the Keliber lithium refinery on 28 June 2022. The initial environmental permit application was submitted in December 2020.
Mining areas and the concentrator
The Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland (AVI) has on 28 December 2022 granted an environmental permit for the Keliber lithium project’s Rapasaari mine and the concentrator in Päiväneva.
Court ruling on three appeals regarding the Environmental Permit for the Rapasaari mine and Päiväneva concentrator was received on 23 February 2024. The Court upheld the permit but referred certain permit conditions back to the Permitting Authority for further review. The decision became legally valid on 3 April 2024.
- Construction on the concentrator can proceed as planned, as the Environmental Permit remains valid
- Commencement of production at the concentrator is subject to the Permitting Authority’s review and the issuing of enforceable permit decisions
- Our current expectation for the review process’s timeline, is that the concentrator operations can commence as planned – Based on preliminary analysis, we expect the process will delay the commencement of the Rapasaari mine
- The permitting authority issued the outstanding environmental permit, with an enforcement order, on 24 June 2025 for the treatment of the magnetic waste stream at the concentrator.
Keliber has valid environmental permits for the Syväjärvi mining area. In February 2019, the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland granted Keliber an environmental permit for the Syväjärvi open pit mine operations and a water permit for the temporary draining of lakes Syväjärvi and Heinäjärvi, in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act (527/2014) and the Water Act (587/2011). Three appeals were filed in the Administrative Court of Vaasa against the Regional State Administrative Agency’s decision. On 16 June 2021, the Vaasa Administrative Court announced that it mostly rejects the appeals. This decision gained legal force in July 2021.
The permit documents are available in Finnish at https://ytietopalvelu.lvv.fi/fi-FI
Our PEOPLE
At Sibanye-Stillwater, we believe that everyone has the right to a safe working environment and that every employee should go home, safe, well and unharmed, every single day. We strive for zero harm at all operations and aim to eliminate the potential for fatalities, accidents and injury in the workplace. See Safety & health.
The Keliber lithium project has a proactive approach to employee health and well-being, and to skills development: we develop processes, operating models and cultures that advance employee well-being and expertise, and offer opportunities for professional development.
We are a close working community in which respect for each other, consideration and fairness are cornerstones of our human resources approach.
The Keliber lithium project will employ around 360 people (including mining contractors) at steady state. More than 1,000 people (including own personnel) have been employed simultaneously during the busiest construction phase, approximately half of them at the Keliber lithium refinery.
Local labour is hired either directly or through our subcontractor partners.
We will advance diversity in our recruitment by selecting women and men equally for interviews, whenever possible.
Socio-economic development
The Keliber lithium project will create shared value by producing quality products, delivering positive financial performance, contributing to regional well-being, and the local sourcing of goods and services as well as through the conduct of research and development.
Our long-term goal is to produce approximately 15,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually for the manufacture of battery chemicals. The lithium battery market is growing globally due to growth in electric vehicles sales and increasing battery demand in several industries. Feasibility studies support the financial feasibility of Keliber’s lithium project.
In spring 2019, a preliminary assessment of the general economic impacts of mining and wind power projects in the Kaustinen sub-region was carried out by the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius.
An updated research on the economic impacts of the large energy projects in the region was published in February 2025 by the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius and the University of Jyväskylä. One of the subjects was the Kaustinen operation of Sibanye-Stillwater’s Keliber lithium project.
The research, called Kaustisen seudun ja Sydänsuomessa-alueen energia-alan suurhankkeiden taloudellisten kokonaisvaikutusten ennakkoarviointi, confirmed the significant positive economic impact of the Keliber lithium project on the region, both in the investment phase and during production, through employment and taxes.
The Keliber lithium project will also contribute to economic growth and well-being through national and regional (Central Ostrobothnia) procurement.
Construction of the Keliber lithium project means significant benefits for the Finland fiscus and regional stakeholders, with meaningful local investment and support for regional suppliers.
The Keliber lithium project engages in extensive research and development cooperation with both public and private actors, mainly in Finland, but increasingly also at the EU level. We carry out R&D projects as our own activities as well as in close cooperation with organisations, such as the Geological Survey of Finland, the University of Oulu, the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Centria University of Applied Sciences, and several others.
The Keliber lithium project is involved in the EU Horizon projects LITHOS and EXCEED. These projects focus on the utilisation of side streams from the concentrator operations, and the suitability of ore with low lithium content for the enrichment process.
The Sibanye-Stillwater Foundation was established in 2021 to promote culture, sports and the well-being of local communities, as well as nature and biodiversity. Funded by Sibanye-Stillwater, the foundation receives an amount equivalent to 1.5% of declared dividends to support its activities in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Focus areas of the foundation:
- Environment and Conservation
- Healthcare
- Education and Skills Development
- Social Welfare
- Digital Accessibility
- Sports and Culture
- Infrastructure
The foundation implements projects in collaboration with local charities, public benefit and non-profit organisations and reports transparently on its impact.
