Green Lithium receives UK planning permission

The UK's first large-scale lithium refinery being developed by Green Lithium has received planning permission for its site in Teesside, a major milestone for the UK's ambitions to produce battery metals.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council granted permissions for the new refinery on the coastline of Middlesbrough at PD Ports.

"This represents a major milestone in the Green Lithium development programme," Green Lithium construction project manager Charles Tasker said. "It sets the parameters for the design of the project and it allows us to start planning for construction."

Tasker added that the company intends to invest more than £1bn over the course of the project, creating 1,200 construction jobs and 250 permanent jobs at the plant. When fully operational, the plant aims to produce 50,000t of lithium hydroxide annually, with an option to also produce carbonate. Green Lithium entered into a strategic agreement with global trading giant Trafigura for raw material supply in May 2022.

"We'll be producing 1mn electric vehicles worth of lithium and I couldn't be prouder of the team to get us to this point," Green Lithium director Richard Taylor said.

"Lithium is an essential component of batteries and a secure supply will be critical for our automotive and green energy industries," UK Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade Nusrat Ghani said.

She said the plans highlighted the UK as a "strategic location" for refining and midstream manufacturing and supports the aims of the government's critical minerals strategy.

Green Lithium has received backing from the UK government's Automotive Transformation Fund, with an initial £600,000 grant awarded early in the companies' foundation.

Ghani did not mention the government's target of banning internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030, a policy which has recently been called into question by some MPs.

Industry figures have urged the government to stick with the plan, pointing at projects such as Green Lithium as key to unlocking the benefits of transport electrification.

"The UK has a choice in the global race to stay competitive," FairCharge UK founder Quentin Willson said. "To have a strong growth agenda, policies need to be firm, and commitments must be kept. Without these policies and regulations, the UK will be faced with just managing the decline of its motor industry."

By Thomas Kavanagh