Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has backed plans to turn the disused Trelavor clay mine near St Austell into a major lithium mine, a move that could significantly boost the UK’s battery manufacturing capabilities.
The site, operated by Cornish Lithium, is expected to provide 25,000 tonnes of lithium a year by 2030, helping to power British-made electric vehicles using locally sourced batteries.
Lithium is a vital component in battery production, and the development of the Trelavor site is expected to play a key role in meeting the UK’s growing demand for electric vehicles. With Rayner’s decision to upgrade the project to a “project of national importance”, the planning approval process will be fast-tracked, with ministers overseeing approval rather than local authorities.
Cornwall’s rich lithium deposits, found in the same granite rocks that supported the county’s historic china clay industry, have the potential to make the region the heart of the UK’s lithium mining sector. Jeremy Wrathall, CEO of Cornish Lithium, highlighted the importance of the project, saying: “This represents another stage in the UK’s journey from reliance on imported lithium to maximising the industrial scale potential of lithium that already lies beneath our feet in Cornwall’s brownfields.”
Securing domestic supplies of lithium would reduce the UK’s reliance on imports from Australia, South America and China, reducing the carbon emissions and logistics costs associated with sourcing from abroad. The Trelavor mine plans to produce 10,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide a year, with a further 15,000 tonnes from geothermal waters elsewhere in Cornwall.
The UK’s push towards electric vehicles is set to intensify, with EV shares expected to rise from 22% of all new cars sold in 2024 to 80% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. With more than 1.2 million electric cars currently on UK roads – around 3.5% of the total – this figure is expected to grow to 20% by 2030, driving up demand for lithium significantly.
The Cornish Lithium Initiative could meet more than half of the UK automotive industry’s lithium needs, estimated at 80,000 tonnes by 2030. This domestic supply will not only support the UK’s electric vehicle targets, but also the wider use of lithium in other technologies, including rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops and vital medical devices such as pacemakers.
As the UK automotive manufacturing industry remains a critical export sector, particularly to the EU, developing a domestic lithium supply chain is seen as a strategic move to secure the industry’s future amid growing global competition and environmental targets.
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