PARIS :French minerals group Imerys on Thursday announced plans to mine lithium in the UK and said the site could supply two-thirds of batteries for Britain's electric vehicles by 2030.
Imerys' UK development, and its previously announced plan to mine the metal in central France, would reduce Europe's current reliance on imported lithium for batteries, CEO Alessandro Dazza said.Most known lithium resources are located outside Europe, including in a so-called lithium triangle spanning Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. But Imerys says it has confirmed large deposits beneath its longstanding kaolin mines in Britain and France.
The company said in a statement that the Cornwall project has been approved by the UK government, and business minister Kemi Badenoch was quoted as welcoming the deal to strengthen domestic supply of critical minerals. The project was smaller than Imerys' existing plan to mine lithium in France, where it aims to reach output of around 34,000 tonnes a year through a 1 billion euro investment, and Dazza said the UK site would have the advantage of being an open pit mine with a nearby processing facility.