A new join UK mining venture could power half a million electric cars by the end of the decade.
Two companies, Imerys and British Lithium, are planning to combine their expertise to extract lithium from a granite mine in Cornwall.
Lithium is a crucial material in the production of electric car batteries which have seen a boom in recent years as thousands of British motorists cut their carbon footprint.
One aim of the new project is to try and reduce the UK and Europe’s dependence on raw material imports and help them achieve their climate targets the groups said in a joint statement.
The news comes as electric cars experience a boom in popularity ahead of a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the 2030s.
In a statement, Imerys and British Lithium said: “This venture will reduce the UK’s and Europe’s dependence on critical raw material imports, thus contributing to the achievement of the European and British climate change targets and the creation of the first fully integrated regional electrical vehicle value chain.”
Despite the huge potential benefits of this new deal, there is a catch for the British driver, the production of lithium won’t begin until 2028 and will only meet two-thirds of Britain’s estimated battery demand by 2030.
2030 is the year when all new cars in the UK must be fully electric under government plans to fight climate change and reduce national emissions.
Nevertheless, the boost to domestic mining has been welcomed by the government even if it does not mean the UK will be self-sufficient in battery production.
Furthermore, there are concerns that the UK is falling behind in the EV infrastructure race following the collapse of the Britishvolt start-up in January.
Britishvolt was the company behind a planned battery factory that would produce batteries for new electric cars.
The company had intended to build power cells for 300,000 electric battery packs and eventually employ 3,000 people.
Recently, the company was purchased by Australian firm Recharge Industustries who said that while the name Britishvolt would stay, the business would focus on making batteries for energy storage before producing them for high-performance sports cars.
Although the company will change in its focus, Recharge Industries’ CEO David Collard maintained they still want to complete their proposed factory in Blyth, Northumberland.
Mr Collard told the BBC that he wanted broad political support for the factory: “I spent a lot of time with Northumberland County Council. They genuinely want a gigafactory and the best thing for their people.
“The government is ready to stand behind the right company with the right investment because we do believe that a gigafactory here in Blyth would be an appropriate way of building on the skills that local people have, and indeed the edge that this town has already displayed when it comes to renewables and the future of energy.”
As Britishvolt survives under new owners, other problems with the UK’s EV strategy remain as customers complain about the charging infrastructure and high upfront costs of electric car ownership.
Furthermore, there are also growing concerns about the impact of Brexit on the UK’s electric vehicle growth.
The car industry has warned that Brexit trading agreements on rules of origin set to come into force next year could add costs to consumers in Europe unless they are delayed.
The rule states that 45 percent of an electric vehicle’s value should come from the UK or European Union to qualify for trade without a 10 percent tariff being applied.
As well as their heavy economic footprint, there are also growing concerns about the impact of electric cars on Britain’s roads as a new study recently found out.
