FURTHER major steps towards Cornwall’s lithium mining project have been taken with the completed construction of a Geothermal Water Test Site and demonstration plant at United Downs.

Cornish Lithium now plans to carry out trials of environmentally-responsible Direct Lithium Extraction (‘DLE’) process technologies. The company says it has also completed a hard rock drilling campaign at Trelavour, and will be able to define the scale of the lithium resource by autumn of this year.

Jeremy Wrathall, CEO and Founder of Cornish Lithium, said: “Our lithium in geothermal waters test site at United Downs provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate what modern, low-carbon mineral extraction looks like, and the results will inform the development of the larger pilot plant that we intend to construct by the end of March next year.

“As world leaders gather in Cornwall for the G7 summit to take collective action towards securing a green and global economic recovery, and with the news that Nissan is considering constructing a battery gigafactory in the North East, the timing could not be better for Cornish Lithium to play a significant role in establishing a crucial domestic supply chain for the electric vehicle industry.

“This will not only boost the regional and national economy as the UK transitions to net zero-carbon, it will also position Cornwall at the heart of the green industrial revolution, continuing a proud 4,000-year history of mineral extraction and innovation.”

The testing facility at United Downs, which has a visitor centre, is designed to trial a number of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies in both deep and shallow geothermal waters, to establish which of these technologies is most suited to the low-caron extraction of lithium in Cornwall.