Weardale Lithium Ltd has submitted an application for the phased construction of a lithium extraction plant in the village of Eastgate in Weardale, County Durham.
ASSESSMENTS
Proposed to be on the brownfield, former cement works near the market town of Stanhope, the plant will process geothermal groundwater from “existing deep, high specification production wells nearby”.
The company said that the facility would be part of regeneration plans of the old works site.
Local consultation conducted before filing the application received “positive” community engagement with “considerable support” for the development and regeneration of the site.
Weardale Lithium plans to transport groundwaters from the well sites to the pilot plant via “carefully located” pipelines, removing the need for tanker journeys along minor roads.
“This will enable the pilot plant to operate with continuous flow at significant flowrates,” added the company.
“Once completed, it will be one of the most advanced lithium extraction plants in Europe.
“The site is sufficiently large enough for processing to scale-up lithium extraction, and also for other uses such as geothermal energy infrastructure, green technologies and associated business opportunities.”
The company estimates the development plan will create 20 to 50 on site jobs, plus additional employment in construction and supply chains.
Full commercial production over the next four years could produce approximately 10,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year, creating around 125 jobs and generating an estimated £1bn of gross economic value for the North East, added Weardale Lithium.
Submission of the company’s application to Durham County Council follows more than three years’ work including trialling “multiple direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies”.
The company said it was the first to extract lithium successfully from the groundwaters in the North Pennine Orefield.
Weardale Lithium also submitted ecological and biodiversity, noise, air quality, highways, landscape, heritage, groundwater, surface water and flood risk assessments.
Chief executive Stewart Dickson added that the development represented a multi-million pound investment in Weardale.
“We have long signalled our intent to re-develop the site at Eastgate and breathe new life into the derelict former industrial site, which, if our application is successful, will become a focal point for the UK lithium industry together with green energies and technologies co-located.”