RCS - Green Lithium - Green Lithium to build UK's first lithium refinery

FTI ConsultingAnnouncement

07/11/2022 08:15

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RNS Number : 4546F  Green Lithium  07 November 2022

Green Lithium

 

UK's first lithium refinery to be built in Teesside

 

Green Lithium's 50,000 tonne output to be commissioned in 2025

 

Providing crucial security of supply to safeguard the UK's and EU's automotive
and battery manufacturing industries

 

 

Teesside, United Kingdom - Monday 7 November 2022: Green Lithium has today
announced that it will build the UK's first large-scale lithium refinery at PD
Ports, in Teesside, UK. The creation of this substantial facility will begin
to meet the urgent needs of the battery manufacturing and automotive sectors
within the UK and the EU, as the global transition to electric vehicles (EVs)
drives an increasing necessity for lithium processing capabilities on the
continent.

 

Supporting the UK economy

 

The construction of the refinery will help drive the UK's levelling up agenda
as well as supporting local and regional development. Development and
construction of the facility will drive significant growth and investment into
the local area, creating over 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and 250
full-time, green, local and highly-skilled jobs once in operation.
Construction is expected to take three years and the plant will be
commissioned during 2025.

 

A cleaner refining process

Green Lithium is committed to transforming the refining process, historically
a dirty supply chain component, by establishing leading ESG credentials,
targeting net zero on Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035 whilst working with
supply chain partners to minimise Scope 3 emissions, and reducing its carbon
footprint to significantly lower than existing international refineries. In
fact, the refining process at Teesside will have a carbon footprint 80% lower
than the traditional processes currently used internationally, with a carbon
intensity of only 3.3kg of CO2 emitted per kg of lithium hydroxide produced
compared with the international average of 16.2kg.

This will be achieved through integrating low-energy processes with renewable
electricity, and by ensuring the refining plant is capable of utilising
hydrogen gas and is carbon capture enabled. Additionally, there will be no
wider environmental impact due to the refinery's use of a non-acid leach
process flowsheet with zero liquid discharge and no sulphates in its output.

It is Green Lithium's objective to set the global lithium refining bar higher
than anyone else, setting environmental standards not previously seen before
within the industry.

Securing UK supply of crucial transition chemicals

 

The refinery will provide annual production of c.50,000 tonnes of low-carbon,
battery-grade lithium chemicals that will help meet Europe's growing demand.
Green Lithium's product will go into the supply chain for lithium-ion
batteries, energy storage, grid stabilisation and EV batteries. For example,
the forecast level of annual production will enable the production of roughly
1 million EVs in a European market producing over 15 million by 2030.

 

Currently, 89% of the globe's hard-rock lithium is processed in East Asia,
with domestic demand expected to outstrip its production output by 2030. As
such, the UK and EU's reliance on international sources for their refined
lithium chemical imports is creating uncertainty over security of supply,
price, and volume.

 

Exponential demand growth

 

These factors underline the reasons why the UK Government made lithium a key
part of its Critical Minerals Strategy in 2022. By 2030, the overall European
market alone will require 800,000 tonnes of refined lithium per year, as the
annual gigafactory output of Europe's top 5 lithium battery makers is set to
grow by +28%. Green Lithium is seizing the opportunity presented by Europe's
future high demand, and potential future uncertainty in the Chinese market, by
building a refinery that will enable the growth of localised battery and
electric vehicle industries in the UK and the EU.

 

Sean Sargent, Chief Executive Officer of Green Lithium, said:

 

"Green Lithium's vision is to support the acceleration of adoption of EVs and
sustainable energy storage by increasing the supply of low carbon lithium
chemicals, enabling the planet's transition to sustainable energy.

 

"There is currently no lithium refining capability in Europe; localised
lithium refining is urgently required to meet the exponential growth of
European demand and protect against uncertainty from precarious international
supply chains. Without localised supply, Europe's battery, energy storage and
automotive sectors will fail.

 

"Critically, Green Lithium will use a world-leading, sustainable, and
low-carbon refining process, which has an 80% lower carbon footprint than
traditional refineries in existing markets."

 

Frans Calje, Chief Executive of PD Ports, said:

 

"PD Ports is delighted that Green Lithium has chosen Teesport as the base for
this project which holds such national importance.

 

"We cannot lose momentum on our commitment, as a country, to reach Net Zero by
2050. Within PD Ports, sustainability is right at the top of our agenda, and
we are on-track to reach our ambitious target of carbon-neutrality across our
Tees operations by just 2027.

 

"We look forward to working alongside Green Lithium on this project which
will, in turn, deliver our shared ambitions of levelling up the Tees Valley,
creating real, sustainable jobs and driving a low-carbon economy."

 

Claire Blanchelande, Head of Lithium at Trafigura, said:

"Lithium is fast becoming more of the world's most important commodities for
the energy transition and Green Lithium's refinery will be one of the few
ready by the middle of this decade when we see demand for electric vehicles
picking up in a very significant way in the UK and Europe. We look forward to
working with Green Lithium to help source its raw materials and market its
output of lithium hydroxide."

 

The Rt. Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy, said:

"We're backing companies, like Green Lithium here in Teesside, to grow the
new, green industries across the UK, sparking jobs and growth for decades to
come.

"This is levelling up in action. The refinery will deliver more than 1,000
jobs during its construction and 250 long-term, high-skill jobs for local
people when in operation.

"It is also allowing us to move quickly to secure our supply chains of
critical minerals, as we know that geopolitical threats and global events
beyond our control can severely impact the supply of key components that could
delay the rollout of electric vehicles in the UK."

 

 

Enquiries:

 

Public Relations

 

FTI Consulting

 

Nick Hennis / Ben
Brewerton
                +44 (0) 207 269 9376

GreenLithium@fticonsulting.com (mailto:GreenLithium@fticonsulting.com)

 

About Green Lithium

 

Green Lithium is an innovative mineral processing company with plans to build
and operate a large-scale lithium refinery in the UK and provide battery-grade
lithium hydroxide to UK and European markets. The company will harness
industry-leading process technology enabling clean, low-carbon processing of
high volumes of hard-rock, unrefined lithium mineral spodumene concentrate.

 

At present, the battery-metal supply chain is dominated by East Asia. There is
no refining capability in Europe despite a significant market opportunity.
Working with key strategic partners to address the need to improve the
European battery-metal supply chain, Green Lithium will support the 'net-zero'
ambitions of society to transition to a future green economy.

 

For more information, please visit: greenlithium.co.uk

 

 

 

 

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