Cornish Lithium’s collaboration with Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) will receive government funding for a £4 million geothermal recovery plant near Redruth in Cornwall.
INVESTMENT
The company said that the project would be Europe’s first geothermal lithium recovery pilot plant at GEL’s United Downs Deep Geothermal project (UDDGP).
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (CIOSLEP) announced that the Government plans to invest through its Getting Building Fund which focuses on stimulating the UK’s post-pandemic recovery.
LITHIUM PRODUCTION
The UDDGP aims to demonstrate that lithium can be produced from geothermal waters with a net zero carbon footprint.
Cornish Lithium said that the granite rocks beneath Cornwall were rich in lithium and heat, with tests showing that the geothermal and the lithium resources were “potentially commercially viable due to advances in extraction technologies”.
Founder and chief executive Jeremy Wrathall added that the project could establish new industry for Cornwall which had the potential to become the “battery metals hub” for the UK.
“This funding will significantly accelerate our work to demonstrate that lithium can be produced in a sustainable, zero-carbon manner and will enable us to fast-track similar projects in other locations across Cornwall once the plant has been completed.
Cornish Lithium is also exploring the potential for producing zero carbon lithium from geothermal waters or “hot springs” across the county.
DEEPEST WELL
GEL managing director Dr Ryan Law added that “significant strides” had been made in establishing the UK’s first deep geothermal power plant.
The company has drilled the deepest well on UK soil, at 5.2km vertical depth, encountering the hottest temperatures recorded in onshore deep drilling in the UK (188 degrees Celsius) which is more than enough to produce energy for 24/7 renewable power generation at the surface.
EXTRACTION PILOT PLANT
The lithium extraction pilot plant at United Downs will trial direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology and its suitability to extract lithium from Cornish geothermal waters.
After extraction of the lithium the waters will be returned to depth via injection boreholes.
Various companies have developed DLE technology to extract lithium from geothermal waters in Europe, New Zealand, the United States and other countries.