Cornish Lithium becomes the first company to produce lithium hydroxide mined and refined in the UK
- First refined lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) produced from lithium extracted from Cornwall’s granite and refined at Cornish Lithium’s demonstration plant in St Dennis, Cornwall.
- Lithium hydroxide is a key input in lithium-ion batteries and a key component of EVs, grid scale battery storage and batteries in consumer electronics. This milestone marks a significant leap forward in the UK’s industrial capabilities.
- The announcement marks another important step in Cornish Lithium’s growth, accelerated by the recent £35m of new funding from the National Wealth Fund and TechMet.
Cornish Lithium has started production of refined LHM from lithium extracted from granite in Cornwall.
In an end-to-end industrial process, the company is repurposing a former china clay quarry and, using innovative low-carbon processing technology, producing refined LHM on a single brownfield industrial site at its Trelavour Demonstration Plant in Cornwall.
LHM is a key raw material for lithium-ion batteries which form the foundations of nearly all modern-day electronics on which we all rely – from electric vehicles (EVs) and smartphones to energy storage and drone technology.
Cornwall is home to the largest lithium deposits in Europe and has enough lithium to power at least 50% of all EVs expected to be produced in the UK by 2030. This announcement marks a major advance in UK industrial capability that will help secure a domestic supply of a key material for UK industry.
(Left to right) Cornish Lithium Senior Process Manager David Moseley, Laboratory Manager Martin Dunn, Trelavour Lithium Project General Manager Peter Morse
Once-in-a-generation breakthrough
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.”
Trelavour Demonstration Plant
The UK’s first refined lithium hydroxide samples were produced at Cornish Lithium’s state-of-the-art demonstration plant. The custom-built facility incorporates all processing stages from crushing and grinding the rock, separation of the lithium-bearing minerals and processing of these minerals to produce a refined lithium hydroxide monohydrate.
Launched only a year ago, the plant uses patented, low-carbon processing technology developed over many years of intensive research and development. In early 2025, Cornish Lithium successfully acquired full intellectual property and associated patents from Australian company Lepidico. The Lepidico process has shown to be highly effective and has now been fully optimised by improvements made at the Demonstration Plant. Cornish Lithium plans to market the technology internationally given the success that has been achieved in recent months.
Funding secured from Innovate UK through the Automotive Transformation Fund’s (ATF) Scale up Readiness Validation competition (SuRV) supported the construction of the hydrometallurgical section of the plant.
Following the success of the Demonstration Plant, Cornish Lithium plans to build a full-scale lithium processing and refining plant with an annual capacity of up to 10,000 tonnes of LHM, which is expected to commence full-scale production in 2029.
Trelavour Demonstration Plant
Crowdfunding campaign launched
Following the announcement of £35m of funding from institutional investors, the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and TechMet, Cornish Lithium has launched a new crowdfunding campaign to allow Cornish Lithium’s wider community of shareholders and supporters the chance to invest in the next stage of growth. The campaign is hosted on the Crowdcube investment platform and opens to the public today (24 October 2025). Investors will have the opportunity to be part of an innovative greentech company that plans to create 300 jobs and contribute significantly to the local economy.
Capital raised through the crowdfunding campaign will be used together with £35m of recent equity funding to advance the company’s projects to the next stage of development and accelerate the journey towards commercial production.
Jeremy Wrathall, Founder and Executive Chairman of Cornish Lithium, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to not just invest in Cornish Lithium but to support the development of a resilient and responsible critical minerals supply chain for the UK.
“The work we are doing is vital for the UK’s national security and economic growth, and it is encouraging to see that the appetite to help us succeed in our ambitions has already been overwhelmingly positive. For us, crowdfunding is more than just raising capital. It’s about connecting with our communities and giving everybody a chance to be part of our journey to commercial production.”
To find out more, visit the Crowdcube platform here.
Important Notice:
Investing in startups and early-stage businesses involves risks, including illiquidity, lack of dividends, loss of investment and dilution. It should be done only as part of a diversified portfolio. Please read the full Risk Warning on Crowdcube's website before deciding to invest.