Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has approved plans to convert the disused Trelavour clay quarry near St Austell into a major lithium mine, a move that could significantly boost the UK’s battery-making capabilities.
The site, operated by Cornish Lithium, is expected to supply 25,000 tonnes of lithium per year by 2030, allowing British-made electric vehicles to be powered with domestically sourced batteries.
Lithium is a vital component in battery production and the development of the Trelavour site is expected to play a key role in meeting the rising demand for electric vehicles in Britain. Rayner’s decision to upgrade the project to a “project of national importance” will speed up the planning approval process, with ministers overseeing the approval rather than local authorities.
Cornwall’s rich lithium deposits, embedded in the same granite rock that once supported the county’s historic china clay industry, have the potential to make the region the heart of the UK’s lithium mining sector. Jeremy Wrathall, CEO of Cornish Lithium, highlighted the importance of the project, saying: “This marks a new stage in the UK’s journey from relying on imported lithium to maximizing the potential of the industrial scale of lithium already under our feet is located on existing brownfields. locations in Cornwall.”
Securing a domestic supply of lithium could reduce Britain’s dependence on imports from Australia, South America and China, reducing carbon emissions and the logistics costs associated with sourcing overseas. The Trelavour well plans to produce 10,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide annually, with a further 15,000 tonnes coming from geothermal waters in other parts of Cornwall.
The UK’s drive for electric vehicles is expected to increase, with electric car quotas expected to rise from 22% of all new cars sold in 2024 to 80% in 2030, reaching 100% by 2035. By more than 1.2 million electric cars currently on the road in Britain weigh – around 3.5% of the total – this figure is expected to grow to 20% by 2030, significantly increasing demand for lithium.
Cornish Lithium’s initiative could potentially meet more than half of the UK car industry’s lithium needs, estimated at 80,000 tonnes by 2030. This domestic supply would not only support the UK’s electric vehicle targets, but also support the broader use of lithium in other technologies, including rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops and critical medical devices such as pacemakers.
As the UK automotive industry remains a crucial export sector, especially to the EU, the development of a local lithium supply chain is seen as a strategic move to secure the industry’s future amid increasing global competition and environmental targets.