Arctial plant plan draws job seekers at Kokkola meeting

A planned aluminium plant on the border of Kokkola and Kruunupyy drew strong interest in jobs at a public meeting in Kokkola, Yle reported. The company Arctial also handed out 100 plastic buckets, which ran out, according to its communications manager, Linda Jansson.

Many attendees asked about the plant’s employment prospects. Others said they welcomed the tax revenue and boost to local businesses they hope the project could bring.

Zahra Sultan, who moved from Pakistan and has studied at Centria University of Applied Sciences, attended to ask what skills would be needed to work at the plant. She said she was looking for a job and had previously worked as an electronics engineer.

Some residents raised concerns about environmental effects, including possible harm to groundwater. Kokkola resident Jairi Palonen said he was also worried about losing nearby berry-picking and mushroom-foraging areas.

Arctial says the environmental impact assessment for its planned 4.7 billion euro plant is nearing completion. The authority overseeing the process is due to issue its concluding statement in early October 2026, and the company plans to submit its first permit applications during October. Arctial says it will not make an investment decision until a year from now.

The company will hold a similar public event in Kruunupyy. Jansson said residents there had been more critical of the project than people in Kokkola, adding that they live closer to the proposed plant.