Cobalt is used for batteries in everything from mobile phones to electric cars. Most of the world’s cobalt is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But in the EU, up to 90 percent of the known cobalt is found in Finland.
Posio in northern Finland is trying to find out exactly how much there is, and where.
– Sometimes cobaltite can be these small silvery inclusions in the pereti, says geologist Eleanor Capuano, holding up a sample drilled from the bedrock.
So far, 90 percent of the cobalt in Finland has been imported, but now several companies hope to be able to open mines in the country in the coming years.
Many oppose mining operations
But not everyone applauds the development. The company Latitude 66 Cobalt has found cobalt in Kuusamo, Finland, but the city council there opposes mining in the area because it is important for tourism.
In addition, the Finnish companies have been criticized for not having sufficiently transparent supply chains.
– We are more ready to tell you what we do, says Thomas Hoyer, CEO of Latidtude 66 Cobalt.