- Around 100–200 workers from China will arrive at the site during April and May to provide installation work assistance
- Recruitment process in Finland did not produce enough qualified fixed-term workers to fill the need of the installation work
- As of 7 April, more than 3,000 people have worked on the construction site, of which 2,000 are Finns
Construction of the Kotka CAM (cathode active material) plant has progressed at a good pace toward the start of commercial production in 2027. European CAM originating from Kotka is in high demand and starting the production according to schedule is critical.
The ongoing import and installation of production equipment, such as kiln systems and other processing equipment, is a crucial phase leading up to the start of production. Components for the production equipment are primarily delivered from China to the Port of Hamina-Kotka.
Equipment installations accelerate
Easpring’s customers are eager to receive the first batches of European CAM at a rapid schedule from Kotka while maritime freight traffic has faced challenges and longer-than-usual delivery times.
Therefore, to ensure the project stays as close to schedule as possible, certain construction and installation work must be completed faster than originally planned. Consequently, the equipment installation work at the site is temporarily shifting to a three-shift system.
Operating in three shifts instead of the originally planned single shift means a temporary need for a larger workforce than initially estimated.
Urgent assistance from China
The Kotka CAM plant is the first of its kind in Finland, and there is currently an immediate need for experienced professionals at the site. CHEC has previously sought to recruit fixed-term workers to participate in the equipment installations, but the required number of workers has not been found in Finland.
The transition to three-shift work will take place in April and May 2026 and will continue until the construction and installation phases critical to the project’s progress are completed.
From April 2025 until now, more than 3,000 workers from 32 different countries have worked at the Kotka battery materials plant, with Finns representing by far the largest group (approximately 2,080 workers). A total of about 290 Chinese workers has been employed on the project. The project has engaged a total of around 410 subcontracting companies, 53 of which are from the Kymenlaakso region.
Easpring Finland New Materials Oy
Established in March 2024, Easpring Finland New Materials Oy is a joint venture of which Beijing Easpring Material Technology Co., Ltd., listed in ChiNext, owns 70 percent and Finnish Minerals Group 30 percent. The purpose of the company is to produce cathode active materials for the needs of the European production facilities of Easpring’s existing and new customers. www.easpring.fi
