Hydrogen-powered airship creates 3D digital twin of battery production site

The aerial monitoring has been done mainly using satellites or helicopters, battery-powered drones, or land-based surveys.

Kelluu develops long-distance, self-flying, and hydrogen-powered airship concepts mounted with several spectral cameras, sensors, and scanners that can gather real-time data on terrain, vegetation, and infrastructure. Kelluu then processes the data to create an accurate 3D digital twin of the environment, enabling Terrafame to monitor and forecast dynamic changes at the industrial site and optimize its infrastructure maintenance and production processes, and further strengthen the environmental safety of the site.

“The combination of high-resolution RGB, multispectral, and Flir images, combined with the same 3D mesh, is a fascinating tool, especially in heap leaching and open pit slope stability modelling. We're happy to welcome Kelluu to the group of monitoring services we use to promote safety and efficiency at our Terrafame site,” says Aki Ullgren, Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Terrafame.

Kelluu’s airships are highly efficient, emitting 99.5% fewer CO2 emissions than traditional aerial monitoring, and frequently cover mission times of over 12 hours. The airships are effectively operational in subzero temperatures. Kelluu’s facility in Finland is the only airship factory and product development laboratory in Northern Europe.

“It is truly mesmerising to see the Kelluu's airships in the air at Terrafame. We felt a strong connection with Terrafame's commitment to positively impacting the world by reducing emissions of electromobility. What Terrafame does for mobility, and we do it for aviation. Together, we provide increased safety using Kelluu's breakthrough intelligent airship technology,” says Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu.

Terrafame enhances low-carbon mobility by delivering responsibly produced battery chemicals to the global battery industry. The company has one of the world’s largest production lines for chemicals used in electric car batteries on its industrial site in Finland. The plant can produce nickel sulphate for around 1 million electric cars per year. The carbon footprint of the nickel sulphate produced by Terrafame is among the smallest in the industry.

Terrafame’s integrated, unique and energy-efficient production process from the mine to battery chemicals provides its customers with a transparent, traceable, and truly European battery chemical supply chain.

As Terraframe produces hydrogen onsite and the airships are powered by hydrogen, Kelluu has built a ground base for its airships on Terrafame’s industrial site. Kelluu will autonomously transfer its airship from its current base in Joensuu, Finland, to Terrafame’s base in Sotkamo.

In addition to Kelluu, Terrafame has multiple other partners helping to monitor its site and develop its operations and occupational and environmental safety.

Founded in 2018, Kelluu is currently raising its series A funding round. In addition to monitoring sites, such as mining areas and industrial production sites, Kelluu’s airships can be used to safeguard biodiversity by monitoring large forest areas for pests, enabling quick action in case infected trees are detected.