A Cornwall company has become the first business to produce lithium hydroxide mined and refined in the 海角视频.
Cornish Lithium has started production of the refined mineral - known as lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) - from lithium extracted from granite in Cornwall.
In an end-to-end industrial process, the company is repurposing a former china clay quarry and producing refined LHM on a single brownfield industrial site at its Trelavour Demonstration Plant near St Austell.
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LHM is a raw material used in lithium-ion batteries which form the foundations of nearly all modern-day electronics – from electric vehicles (EVs) and smartphones to energy storage and drone technology.
Cornwall is home to the largest lithium deposits in Europe and has enough lithium to power at least 50% of all EVs expected to be produced in the 海角视频 by 2030.
Cornish Lithium chief executive Jamie Airnes said: “This is a watershed moment for the 海角视频’s industrial capabilities and economic resilience.
"For the first time ever as a country, we have now demonstrated the ability to produce one of the raw materials on which we all increasingly rely. It is testament to the strength of our research, our innovative approach and the dedication of the Cornish Lithium team.
“This once-in-a-generation breakthrough marks the latest stage in Cornish Lithium’s journey to secure a domestic supply of lithium for the 海角视频 automotive and battery industries, securing the 海角视频’s future jobs, lithium supply chain and economic growth.”
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The 海角视频’s first refined lithium hydroxide samples were produced at Cornish Lithium’s state-of-the-art demonstration plant.
The custom-built facility incorporates all processing stages from crushing and grinding the rock, separation of the lithium-bearing minerals and processing of these minerals to produce a refined LHM.
Launched only a year ago, the plant uses patented, low-carbon processing technology developed over many years of intensive research and development.
In early 2025, Cornish Lithium successfully acquired full intellectual property and associated patents from Australian company Lepidico.
Cornish Lithium plans to market the technology internationally given the success that has been achieved in recent months, it said.
Funding secured from Innovate 海角视频 through the Automotive Transformation Fund’s Scale up Readiness Validation competition supported the construction of the hydrometallurgical section of the plant.
Cornish Lithium is now planning to build a full-scale lithium processing and refining facility with an annual capacity of up to 10,000 tonnes of LHM, which is expected to start full-scale production in 2029.
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In September, the company secured £35m of equity funding. It has also launched a new crowdfunding campaign to help its next stage of growth.
Capital raised through the crowdfunding campaign will be used, along with the £35m, to advance the company’s projects to the next stage of development and accelerate the journey towards commercial production.
Jeremy Wrathall, founder and executive chairman of Cornish Lithium, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to not just invest in Cornish Lithium but to support the development of a resilient and responsible critical minerals supply chain for the 海角视频.
“The work we are doing is vital for the 海角视频’s national security and economic growth, and it is encouraging to see that the appetite to help us succeed in our ambitions has already been overwhelmingly positive."