The UK Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government has announced a ‘nationally significant’ lithium extraction project. The site is in Cornwall near the historic tin and mining village of St Ansell. However, something else has been happening recently there, that gave rise to the Secretary of State’s enthusiasm.
The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project
The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project is a small, successful initiative to tap into geothermal energy near St Ansell. The production well there passes through deformed mudstone, micro-granite, and true granite to reach a depth of over 17,000 feet.
But now another company, Cornish Lithium, has identified a high concentration of the mineral in the hot briny water, that circulates through the United Downs turbine. Moreover, Cornish Lithium also reports discovering lithium in hard rock in the district. From what we hear, this nationally significant lithium extraction initiative could well meet half of UK requirements.
Nationally Significant Lithium Extraction Goes Live in UK
The BBC news channel lead with breaking news that the project is entering production, on September 18, 2024. Their reporter confirmed that Cornish Lithium had commissioned the first lithium hydroxide demonstration plant in the UK.
The output from crushing and processing granite will be in the form of lithium hydroxide. This is a key material for making the electric vehicle batteries we urgently need to decarbonize our road transport.
Lithium hydroxide is a totally white solid. It can be anhydrous (without extra water molecules attached) or hydrated (water added to it). Either material dissolves in water to make a basic solution. This reacts with acids to make lithium salts that produce the free shuttle ions in lithium-ion batteries.
“This is a huge untapped advantage that is currently being wasted,” the Cornish Lithium CEO explains. “Because the resource could be making our industries more competitive, and resilient to global supply chain volatility too.” We wish his company every success going forward.
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