UK’s largest lithium plant gets green light in Durham

COUNTY DURHAM, UK - Weardale Lithium Limited, a natural resources development company, has received unanimous approval from Durham County Council to construct what will be the UK’s largest lithium extraction facility. The plant will be located in Eastgate, Weardale, on the site of a former cement works that was demolished over two decades ago.

The facility is designed to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate from geothermal groundwaters and aims to reach a commercial production target of at least 10,000 tonnes annually in the future. Weardale Lithium’s development will include a demonstration plant that showcases an integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) and carbonisation process, which is unique in the UK for its ability to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate on-site.

This development represents a multi-million-pound investment in the local and regional economy, with an estimated creation of 20 to 50 jobs initially and approximately 125 highly skilled jobs during the commercial phase. The project is expected to contribute around £1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the North East region.

Weardale Lithium has partnered with multinational firm KBR Inc . (NYSE:KBR) for technology licensing and proprietary engineering design based on an integrated technology offering. This technology has already successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from Weardale Lithium’s brine at pilot scale.

The planning approval marks a significant step in the UK’s efforts to establish a domestic supply chain of critical minerals, aligning with the government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and Battery Strategy. Lithium is essential for the energy transition, particularly with the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

The approved facility will utilize an existing deep, high-specification commercial-grade abstraction well for extracting geothermal groundwaters, which will be transported to the plant via pipelines. This method minimizes local traffic, land use competition, visual impact, and carbon footprint.

Stewart Dickson, CEO of Weardale Lithium, expressed gratitude for the support from Durham County Council and local communities, emphasizing the project’s alignment with the UK’s carbon-zero economy transition and the sustainable use of the area’s natural resources.

This news is based on a press release statement from Weardale Lithium Limited.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.