Cornish Lithium has begun producing lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from hard‐rock lithium sourced in Cornwall, marking the first time the UK has refined its own mined lithium. The demonstration plant, located at the company’s Trelavour site in St. Dennis, integrates every step of the process—from crushing and grinding granite, to separating lithium‐bearing minerals, through hydrometallurgical conversion to purified LHM.
Lithium hydroxide monohydrate is a critical precursor for lithium‐ion batteries used in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, energy storage systems and other applications. By repurposing a former china clay quarry and deploying a low‐carbon, end‐to‐end processing workflow on a single brownfield site, Cornish Lithium aims to establish a secure domestic supply chain for a material on which modern technology increasingly depends.
Cornwall sits atop Europe’s largest known lithium deposits, which could meet at least half of the United Kingdom’s projected electric vehicle battery needs by 2030. Demonstrating local production of refined LHM advances national industrial capability and helps safeguard future supplies for UK battery and automotive manufacturers.
Commenting on the announcement, Cornish Lithium CEO, Jamie Airnes, said: “This is a watershed moment for the UK’s industrial capabilities and economic resilience. For the first time ever as a country, we have now demonstrated the ability to produce one of the raw materials on which we all increasingly rely. It is testament to the strength of our research, our innovative approach and the dedication of the Cornish Lithium team.
“This once-in-a-generation breakthrough marks the latest stage in Cornish Lithium’s journey to secure a domestic supply of lithium for the UK automotive and battery industries, securing the UK’s future jobs, lithium supply chain and economic growth.”
Following this achievement, Cornish Lithium plans to commission a full‐scale processing and refining facility by 2029 with an annual output of up to 10,000 tonnes of LHM. The planned plant will use patented low‐carbon technology acquired and optimised from the Lepidico process, which the company secured in early 2025. Cornish Lithium also intends to offer the processing technology to international partners.
Initial construction of the demonstration plant’s hydrometallurgical section was supported by Innovate UK through the Automotive Transformation Fund’s Scale‐up Readiness Validation competition. In addition, the company announced £35 million in equity investment from institutional backers, the National Wealth Fund and TechMet, and has launched a public crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube to help raise further capital. The campaign, which opens on October 24, 2025, seeks to involve local communities in supporting the development of a UK‐based lithium industry and create up to 300 jobs.
Source: Cornish Lithium
