UK Pumps £10M Into Cornish Geothermal Lithium Project
Britain is placing a nearly £10m (US57.6m). The money comes as a provisional offer through the government’s DRIVE35 programme, and the facility is expected to start producing around 1,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually from 2029, harvested from geothermal brine.
According to the government, that initial volume could feed more than 180,000 electric vehicle batteries, and the site has the potential to scale into tens of thousands of tonnes over time. A separate £18.3m (US$24.5m) award to Tees Valley Lithium for a planned refinery on Teesside is also on the table. Both offers still hinge on due diligence before they become final.
The project is framed as a step toward loosening UK battery manufacturers’ dependence on imported lithium, most of which is currently refined in China. GEL expects the Cornwall operation to create close to 50 direct roles, plus around 80 more across its supply chain.
Dr Ryan Law, Chief Executive of GEL, described lithium as essential to the technologies driving the automotive sector’s shift to zero-emission vehicles. He said the company is proud to be at the forefront of building a new UK lithium industry, and argued that Cornwall’s geothermal brine can offer a reliable and sustainable source of the critical mineral. Law added that developing domestic resources, technology and expertise would give the country more control over a raw material that is only growing in importance, while bringing jobs and fresh investment to the local area.
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