High-purity lithium carbonate which can be used in electric car batteries has been successfully produced from mines in Cornwall and Scotland for the first time – a major step forward for the 海角视频’s burgeoning lithium industry and a potential boost for the Cornish economy.
The Faraday Battery Challenge Project Li4海角视频 produced the first lithium carbonate in the 海角视频 from Cornish Lithium’s Trelavour project site in Cornwall and from another site in Scotland. High-purity lithium carbonate is a raw material for lithium-ion battery cells, such as those used in electric vehicles.
The breakthrough was achieved following an 18-month project which involved a scoping study covering sites hosting potentially suitable lithium mineralisation in hard rock and geothermal waters.
READ MORE: {}
The project, under the patronage of 海角视频RI (海角视频 Research and Innovation), was by a consortium comprising mining consultancy Wardell Armstrong International Limited (WAI), the world-famous Natural History Museum and Cornish Lithium Ltd.
Field samples were collection by the museum and, assisted by Camborne School of Mines, and analysed at the famous London museum.
There was then evaluation and mineral processing of the hard rock samples and production of two separate lithium carbonate concentrates at the WAI Mineral Processing Laboratory near Truro, Cornwall.
Assay by the Core Research Laboratories at the Natural History Museum of the two lithium carbonate products confirmed their purity as near battery grade.
Reimar Seltmann, research leader at the Natural History Museum, said: “These two samples represent the first known production of lithium carbonate from 海角视频 hard rock sources and hence are of great importance for the 海角视频 economy.
Most Read
“The consortium believes that the positive results from this project will accelerate the development of a domestic supply of battery quality lithium chemicals for the 海角视频 automotive and battery industries, and the consequent economic value that such industries would generate.”
Ben Simpson, technical director for mineral processing at WAI, said: “The development of lithium processing technologies at the WAI labs as part of the Li4海角视频 project has been a huge stepping-stone for the electric vehicle and battery manufacturing industries in the 海角视频.
“It was crucial for the 海角视频 to start looking at domestic sources of battery materials and production of lithium-ion batteries, from mine to market; what has been achieved here puts the 海角视频 at the forefront of developments in the European battery industry.”
Sign up to get FREE South West business news straight to your inbox
BusinessLive South West is your home for business news in Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.
You can sign up to receive FREE daily morning news bulletins from the region and we'll send out breaking news alerts for any stories we think you can't miss.
Visit our email preference centre to sign up to all the latest news from BusinessLive.
Cornish Lithium’s chief executive Jeremy Wrathall, said: “Given the potential that has been established by this project to exploit lithium resources in Cornwall, it is possible that the 海角视频 could produce a significant percentage of its lithium demand domestically; thus creating a vertically-integrated supply chain and generating additional value for the 海角视频 economy.
“Cornwall also provides access to renewable energy from solar and wind, and offers established infrastructure such as rail, road and port facilities – which represent a considerable advantage over other European lithium projects.”
Lithium is essential for all existing and near-term commercial electric vehicle battery technologies and is considered the “gateway element” to a zero-carbon future.
Don’t miss
It is seen as vital that the 海角视频 supply chain focuses on sourcing lithium in a secure, sustainable manner to support its battery manufacturing and zero-carbon ambitions.
A conclusion of the study was that Cornwall was identified as the most promising area for a future lithium extraction and production industry.
Cornwall currently ranks as one of the most economically-deprived regions in Europe and it is therefore expected that the development of lithium resources in Cornwall will represent a significant boost to economic activity and regional productivity.