Smelters

Boliden Kokkola

Operations
Smelters
Boliden Kokkola

World-class zinc producer

Boliden Kokkola is a world-class zinc plant producing high-quality zinc products to meet the needs of renewable energy production, green transition and modern society. The zinc we produce is used in cars, bridges, batteries, light poles, constructions — everything our modern way of life needs.

Kokkola zinc plant has decades of experience in zinc production. Thanks to our solid know-how, our operations are stable and we are able to develop among the forerunners in the industry.

Established: 1969
Acquired: 2004
Operating profit: SEK 1,927 m (2023)
Average number of employees: 544 (2023)

Metals have always played an important part in our lives.

For a century, Boliden has found and refined metals that have shaped today's society. By working together towards a common goal, grand designs have been realised and important discoveries have enabled communities to grow.

With care, courage and responsibility, we will continue to provide the metals needed to improve society for generations to come.

We have 100 years of exploration and innovation behind us, but many more ahead.

Zinc: 294 ktonnes
Sulphuric acid: 316 ktonnes

Boliden Kokkola - Zinc production process:

Responsibility is the core value by which the Boliden Kokkola zinc plant has been operating for decades. The plant’s responsible method of operation has created the viable operating conditions enabling the company to pursue continuous development. Responsibility is part of business operations and the daily work of each employee.

Zinc production is, in itself, a responsible form of business. Zinc is needed to protect steel from rust corrosion and therefore helps conserve natural resources and reduce our carbon footprint, now and in the future.

Read more

Thanks to our solid expertise, we are able to develop among the pioneers in the industry. Get to know us more by reading the articles we have published.

Visitors information

Educational material (in Finnish)

More about zinc

More about sulphuric acid

More about silver

Zinc Mark

Copper Mark

Boliden Kokkola

Sinkkiaukio 1, FIN-67900 Kokkola

+358 6 828 6111

[email protected]

Roots in the 1960s

In 1967, Outokumpu made a decision to build a zinc plant in Kokkola. At that time, the company had several zinc mines in Finland, but since there was no zinc plant, all the concentrate that came from the mines was exported.

Kokkola was already a major industrial town in the late 1960, where the state-owned majors Outokumpu and Kemira ran several production facilities. The area was full of labour force and available building land, and Kokkola was an excellent choice because of its location next to good transport connections and close to the zinc mines.

Zinc production in Kokkola began in 1969. Over the decades, the plant has been continuously developed through various expansion and development programmes. The ownership of the zinc plant was transferred from Outokumpu to Boliden in 2004 as a part of a corporate reorganisation. In 2010, Boliden acquired a sulphuric acid plant in the vicinity of the zinc plant from Kemira.

Since 2014, the plant’s zinc production process has also included recovering silver from the zinc concentrate. The silver concentrate that is created as an end product is passed on to be refined into pure silver metal.

A long and stable history as well as a great regional significance encourage the company to continue its quality work far into the future.