Vaasa Administrative Court rules against BASF’s sodium sulfate discharge into Kokemäenjoki River while Hamina discharges may proceed

The Vaasa Administrative Court has ruled that BASF’s battery factory in Harjavallia is not permitted to discharge sodium sulfate into the Kokemäenjoki River. However, in Hamina, similar discharges into the Baltic Sea may still be allowed. These are separate permitting processes that do not directly affect each other.

“We are closely monitoring the situation, but we are entirely different entities, so the Harjavallia situation does not impact us,” said Jenni Bäck, Project Development Manager at CNGR Finland in Hamina. The planned battery materials factory in Hamina has already received an environmental license, which permits the discharge of sodium sulfate into the Baltic Sea in a diluted form. Twelve appeals regarding this decision have been filed with the Vaasa Administrative Court.

The environmental organization Clean Water Advocates hopes the Harjavallia ruling will lead to changes in Hamina’s decision. “This is the same new sector of the chemical industry. We hope that factories built along the Baltic Sea will adhere to similar precautionary principles as indicated in the Harjavallia decision,” said Anne Kärki, secretary of the organization.

Kärki expressed concern about new chemical industries discharging waste into water bodies. In addition to Hamina and Harjavallia, an environmental permitting process is also underway in Kokkola for a similar battery materials factory.

CNGR Finland’s representatives maintain there is no reason to change plans. “The location is different. We are by the sea, while Harjavallia would discharge into a river. The factories also differ in terms of capacity,” said Bäck.

Kärki, however, believes the proposed sulfate discharge levels are too high for the Baltic Sea, warning that they could create oxygen-depleted areas in this already low-salinity sea.