Kemira Oyj (Helsinki, Finland) has started pilot operations for iron phosphate production at its site in Helsingborg, Sweden, marking an important milestone in the company’s development of battery materials and to support a more resilient and sustainable battery value chain.
Iron phosphate is an essential chemical precursor, or core building block, used in the production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are widely utilized in electric vehicles, energy storage systems and other industrial applications. Demand for LFP batteries continues to grow globally due to their safety, durability and cost competitiveness.
The new pilot facility bridges the gap between laboratory-scale development and potential industrial-scale production. It enables Kemira to produce larger material volumes for customer testing, product qualification and process development, and is an important step toward evaluating a potential full-scale iron phosphate production facility.
“This pilot plant represents a significant step in Kemira’s battery materials journey. With the start-up of the Helsingborg facility, Kemira is becoming one of the first producers of iron phosphate in Europe focused on serving Western battery markets. As demand grows, we see a clear need for a more localized and resilient supply chain for battery materials, and Kemira is well positioned to support its development,” says Peter Ersman, EVP, New Ventures & Services, Kemira.
By advancing iron phosphate production, Kemira aims to support precursor cathode active material (pCAM) supply chains and contribute to a more balanced battery materials ecosystem in Western markets.
Kemira brings extensive expertise in inorganic chemistry, iron-based chemistries, industrial process development and scaling technologies from laboratory research to commercial production. Iron phosphate production is a natural extension of these capabilities, and the pilot facility will support product validation and manufacturing process development for potential future scale-up.
Following the start of pilot operations, Kemira will focus on customer qualification processes and further process validation. Based on successful qualifications and market development, the company will evaluate future investments in commercial-scale production.