The Trelavour pit, managed by Cornish Lithium, has been designated a “project of national significance,” an advancement crucial for the UK’s electric vehicle future.
The Cornish Lithium-operated site is forecasted to deliver 25,000 tonnes of lithium annually by 2030, a substantial contribution to the battery production necessary for British-manufactured electric vehicles. Lithium, an essential element in battery creation, is pivotal to addressing the increasing demand for electric vehicles within the UK. With the recent decision by Angela Rayner to elevate the project’s status, the planning approval process will now accelerate under ministerial oversight, bypassing local authorities.
Cornwall’s abundant lithium reserves, found in the same granite that historically bolstered the county’s china clay industry, position the region as a potential cornerstone of the UK’s lithium mining sector. Jeremy Wrathall, CEO of Cornish Lithium, emphasised, “This marks another stage in the UK’s journey from relying on imported lithium to maximising the potential of the industrial scale of lithium that already lies beneath our feet at existing brownfield sites in Cornwall.”
The move to secure a domestic lithium source aims to reduce the UK’s dependence on imports from Australia, South America, and China, thereby lowering both carbon emissions and logistical costs associated with international shipping. Trelavour pit’s production targets include 10,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide each year, supplemented by an additional 15,000 tonnes extracted from geothermal waters across Cornwall.
The UK’s electric vehicle objectives are set to expand, with quotas for EVs expected to increase from 22% of new car sales in 2024 to 80% by 2030, eventually reaching 100% by 2035. Presently, there are over 1.2 million electric vehicles on UK roads—constituting approximately 3.5% of the total number of cars. This proportion is predicted to rise to 20% by the end of the decade, significantly boosting the demand for lithium.
Cornish Lithium’s project could potentially fulfil over half of the UK automotive sector’s lithium requirements, estimated at 80,000 tonnes by 2030. This domestic supply is envisioned not only to aid the UK’s electric vehicle targets but also to support the broader utilisation of lithium in various technologies, including rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, and essential medical devices such as heart pacemakers.
Given that the UK car manufacturing industry is a vital export sector, particularly to the EU, establishing a local lithium supply chain is a strategic measure to fortify the industry amid growing global competition and stringent environmental targets.
The designation of Cornish Lithium’s project as nationally significant represents a pivotal step towards securing a robust domestic lithium supply chain, essential for meeting the UK’s ambitious electric vehicle goals and reducing reliance on foreign imports.
