New lithium mine 'to create more than 100 jobs'

A new lithium mine is set to create more than 100 jobs under government plans, bosses say.

Geothermal Engineering Limited said it would invest about £43m in a lithium extraction facility in Cornwall, which it planned to bring into commercial production in 2029.

Officials said it was part of government plans to boost industrial resilience and help secure vital supply chains backing automotive, clean energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.

CEO Dr Ryan Law said the UK had an important opportunity to develop resources, technology and expertise for a domestic lithium supply, and they were "proud to be building that capability here in Cornwall, bringing jobs and new investment to the local area."

The government has taken action to unlock nearly £230m of private investment into two lithium projects in Cornwall and Teesside, the company said.

Lithium is needed for making batteries for electric vehicles.

The move came as demand for lithium was expected to increase by 1,100% by 2035 and would support hundreds of jobs and shore up Britain's supplies of lithium, it added.

Officials said the investment in Cornwall would create nearly 50 direct jobs and support about 80 more across the supply chain, after receiving an offer in principle worth nearly £10m through the Government's DRIVE35 Automotive Transformation Fund.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the most would help unlock the region's "industrial potential".

"Hot on the heels of over £1bn of automotive investment secured already this month, this latest win is a big step towards building our industrial resilience," he said.

Officials said £1bn of investment was announced this month from Bentley, McLaren and Nissan.

The facility is expected to produce around 1,500 tonnes of technical-grade lithium carbonate from geothermal brine underground each year – enough to power more than 180,000 typical EV car batteries.

Officials said the facility had the potential to scale to produce tens of thousands of tonnes in the future, and the lithium produced would give a huge boost to the UK's EV battery manufacturing, shoring up crucial supply chains and moving Britain forward in the transition towards net zero.

Julian Hetherington, automotive transformation and engagement director, APC and Zenzic, said extracting lithium in the UK diminished dependence on supply chains.

"In addition, the lithium extraction is expected to spark significant economic growth, especially in Cornwall where a vibrant materials cluster is developing at pace," Hetherington added.

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