Green Lithium
First commercial lithium refinery in the UK
Lithium as a raw material is abundant throughout the world, but all of the world's hard lithium refining takes place in China.
There is a growing need for localised European production in the metals supply chain for electric vehicle batteries as the East Asian market begins to consume much of its own supply.
Government commitments are driving demand for lithium, with forthcoming bans on the sale of new combustion engine vehicles accelerating the transition to electric vehicles.
These include the EU's introduction of rules of origin that require battery and car manufacturers to localise their supply chains, forcing them to source battery precursor materials from EU suppliers from 2024 or face punitive tariffs.
In the longer term, given the rapid increase in the production of electric vehicles, European demand for lithium is expected to reach 800,000 tonnes/year by 2023.
This is a market that cannot be ignored as our society evolves.