UK Backs Cornish Geothermal Lithium Project With Production Slated for 2029

A British energy developer is moving closer to tapping an unusual source of battery raw material: the hot, mineral-rich waters deep beneath Cornwall. Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) says commercial lithium extraction at its planned plant is now on track to begin in 2029, after the UK government committed roughly £10 million through its DRIVE35 Automotive Transformation Fund.

GEL intends to sink around £43 million into the facility, which would draw lithium carbonate from geothermal brine. Under current projections, the site would yield about 1,500 tonnes of the material each year. The company cites an independent assessment showing its lithium carbonate surpasses the 99.3 per cent purity threshold required for battery-grade supply, a key qualification for any automaker-facing product.

The project traces back to early drilling near Redruth, where GEL reported encountering what it described as one of Europe’s richest geothermal lithium concentrations, measured at 340 ppm. GEL first outlined its Cornish ambitions in 2023, initially suggesting the output could feed around 250,000 EV batteries a year — a figure since trimmed to roughly 180,000.

London is also nurturing a second piece of the domestic lithium chain in Teesside, where Tees Valley Lithium is constructing a refinery to upgrade lithium precursors into battery-grade material. That effort carries an expected investment of £185 million, backed by an additional £18.3 million government grant. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds framed the Cornish award as part of a broader push to strengthen UK industrial resilience, while GEL CEO Dr Ryan Law said the aim is to give the country greater command over a raw material whose strategic weight keeps growing.