Imerys, a mineral solutions supplier, has bought an 80% share in British Lithium, a private firm that processes Cornish granite to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate.
Imerys contributes its lithium mineral resources, land and infrastructure for an 80% stake in the joint venture, whilst British Lithium brings its bespoke lithium processing technology, its technical team and its lithium pilot plant for the remaining 20%. Imerys’s land has 161 million tons of inferred resources at 0.54% lithium oxide concentration, promising a mine life of over 30 years. At a production rate of 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent per year, that could equip 500,000 EVs per year by the end of the decade, meeting roughly two-thirds of Britain’s estimated battery demand by 2030 when all UK car manufacturers convert to EVs.
“This venture will reduce the UK’s and Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials imports, thus contributing to the creation of the first fully integrated regional electrical vehicle value chain,” the company said.
Source: Imerys