South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater is seeking concessions from the European Union as it ramps up development of Europe’s first large-scale lithium mining and processing project in Finland. The request, made in April 2026, aims to secure policy and financial protections for the Keliber lithium project amid volatile global lithium prices and intensifying competition, as reported by Reuters.
The project has already begun lithium ore extraction at the Syväjärvi open-cast mine, with plans to produce around 140,000 metric tons of spodumene concentrate annually once a processing plant is commissioned later in 2026. A further decision on building a refinery capable of producing about 15,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide per year is expected in the third quarter, depending partly on ongoing discussions with EU authorities.
Sibanye is pushing for measures such as price protection mechanisms and trade safeguards to shield the project from market volatility and what it describes as unfair competition, particularly from Chinese oversupply. Executives have indicated that without such support, the financial risks associated with large-scale lithium investment could weigh heavily on shareholders.
The request aligns with the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to boost domestic production of strategic minerals and reduce reliance on external suppliers. The outcome of these negotiations could shape the viability of Europe’s emerging lithium value chain, as the region seeks to secure supply for electric vehicle and energy storage industries in an increasingly competitive global market.
