UK's first lithium hydroxide demonstration plant launched

The plant at Cornish Lithium's Trelavour Hard Rock Project in St Dennis, Cornwall, represents a major step towards commercial production of lithium in Britain.

It will demonstrate Cornwall’s potential to provide a secure and sustainable domestic source of lithium. This is critically important to the manufacturing of electric vehicles, grid-scale electricity storage batteries, and rechargeable industrial and consumer electronics.

The site uses the patented, low-carbon Lepidico technology, which will enable Cornish Lithium to provide a fully-integrated operation onsite – from extracted ore to finished product.

The demonstration plant will be used to optimise this technology and improve the refining process to better inform the full-size industrial-scale operation, which is intended for commercial production in 2027.

From 2027, the aim is to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide at a rate of 10,000tpa, which is expected to contribute at least £800mln to the Cornish economy and create more than 300 jobs in Cornwall during the life of the project.

The site at Trelavour revitalises a former china clay pit, close to the Indian Queens National Grid substation and Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre, and will benefit from an existing rail connection. 

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