Lithium ‘gold rush’ tipped to fuel Global Britain powerhouse

A Lithium ‘gold rush’ is being tipped to fuel a Global Britain powerhouse.

Lithium could power Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit, Global Britain vision, an industry expert has predicted and has compared the situation with the goldrushes of the 19th century. Lithium is crucial for the transition to renewables, but in the past, mining for it has been environmentally costly.

However, a more sustainable source of this precious metal has been found deep beneath the English countryside. A site nearby the Wheal Clifford in Cornwall has recently been confirmed as having some of the world’s highest grades of lithium in geothermal waters.

The commercial use for lithium in the 21st Century could not be clearer. It is found not only inside smartphones and laptops but is now absolutley vital to the clean energy transition, for the batteries that power electric vehicles and store energy so renewable power can be released steadily and reliably.

The CEO of EnergyX, Teague Egan, has also suggested that Britain’s abundant reserves of the so-called rare earth element- a vital component for the batteries fitted in electric cars- puts the UK in an advantageous position compared with the European Union.

EnergyX, a  US-based company, is developing cutting-edge technology that they say will disrupt the lithium industry and provide a far more sustainable source of the mineral to advance renewable energy storage and electric vehicles.

Specifically, the companys Lithium-Ion Transport and Separation Technology (LiTAS) has been developed in partnership with Dr John Goodenough, inventor of the lithium-ion battery, and extracts lithium from brine pools using little to no water or chemicals, reducing environmental impact significantly.

“Lithium has already been compared to the next gold rush. It is already present in most household electronics and is a major component in electric cars and energy storage units.

“When considering how the entire world is currently working towards becoming more sustainable and embracing low-carbon solutions, lithium will have a major role to play in that regard,” said Mr Egan.

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