FREYR Battery (“FREYR”), a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity, has developed a program for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and submitted its proposal to Finland’s Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre).
This marks an important step in the approval process to initiate a potential construction of FREYR’s planned battery cell plant project in Vaasa, Finland. FREYR has commenced building the first of its planned factories in Mo i Rana, Norway and announced potential development of industrial scale battery cell production in Vaasa, Finland and the United States. FREYR intends to deliver up to 43 GWh of battery cell capacity by 2025 and up to 83 GWh annual capacity by 2028.
FREYR has identified Vaasa as a promising production site due to its local supply of affordable, renewable energy and its proximity to raw materials and a highly competent workforce. The aim of the project in Vaasa is to produce advanced, energy efficient battery cells with the lowest possible CO2 emissions. EIA approval is required before the final investment decision and construction of the plant can begin.
“Vaasa is a key Nordic center for the battery industry, a journey that this city began nearly five years ago. For FREYR, Vaasa represents an ideal location for Gigawatt hour scale production in the Nordics, a place where we can attract talent, collaborate across the value chain, as we continue our progress towards becoming one of Europe’s largest producers of low-carbon battery cells,” said Tom Einar Jensen, the CEO of FREYR.
“To this end, the EIA process is essential both to take the right steps towards the construction phase, and also to understand the impact we may have on the local environment, and what is required of us to mitigate or eliminate that impact from the start,” he added.
“FREYR Battery’s preparations for building a cell factory are Finland’s first large-scale cell project, and we are very pleased that the process has progressed to this stage. We have collaborated with many operators in the GigaVaasa region at different stages of the environmental impact assessment processes and we have learned a lot at the same time. FREYR Battery’s EIA process, which is done carefully, provides a good basis for future permit procedures,” says CEO Ulla Mäki-Lohiluoma on behalf of the GigaVaasa team.
The purpose of the assessment is to identify, evaluate and describe the likely environmental impacts of FREYR’s project in Vaasa. The target is to conclude the assessment procedure before the end of 2022 with a subsequent potential investment decision in Finland’s first Gigawatt hour scale battery cell facility.
The ELY Centre will base its EIA assessment of the proposed FREYR plant on factors such as the location, physical characteristics and environmental aspects that may affect the project. They will also assess how the project will affect the predicted residues and emissions, as well as the use of natural resources and the broader environmental impact on the Vaasa area.