As demand for electric vehicles, battery storage and clean energy technologies continues to grow, securing a reliable supply of critical minerals has become a national priority. Lithium, a key component in rechargeable batteries, sits at the heart of this challenge.
Today, most lithium used in the UK is imported, leaving manufacturers exposed to global supply chain pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. Developing a domestic source of lithium is therefore essential to supporting the UK’s transition to net zero and strengthening the nation’s energy and industrial resilience. At GEL, we are working to address that challenge.
Earlier this month, GEL announced that lithium carbonate produced from geothermal brine at its United Downs facility in Cornwall has exceeded the internationally recognised 99.3% purity specification required for technical grade material.
This achievement means that the lithium carbonate produced at United Downs meets the purity requirements for battery manufacturers and can be supplied directly to market without further refining.
It is an important milestone not only for GEL, but also for the UK’s growing critical minerals sector.
The UK Government has set a target of meeting 10% of the nation’s critical mineral requirements from domestic production by 2035, including at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually.
As GEL expands production, we aim to play a significant role in helping to meet this target.
Following the successful commissioning of our lithium processing plant in February 2026, the facility is capable of producing up to 100 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year. Looking ahead, production at United Downs is expected to increase significantly, with plans targeting around 2,000 tonnes annually by 2029.
As additional projects are brought online, GEL’s long-term ambition is to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate each year by 2033, potentially supplying more than 60% of the UK’s stated lithium production target.
Alongside supply security, sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the sourcing of critical minerals.
GEL’s lithium is produced from naturally occurring geothermal waters extracted from deep underground. By integrating lithium extraction with renewable geothermal energy generation, the company is developing a low-carbon symbiotic approach to lithium production that differs significantly from many conventional methods used elsewhere around the world.
As GEL continues to scale production, we remain focused on delivering a secure, sustainable and domestic source of lithium for generations to come.
