GEL’s Lithium Demonstration Plant at United Downs sits on the same site as the Geothermal Powerplant. The same, hot geothermal brines that produce electricity are used for the production of ultra-low carbon critical mineral extraction, a symbiotic process that ensures a high commercial viability.
Geothermal energy and critical mineral extraction are naturally complementary as they use the same subsurface resource, with the brines brought to the surface at United Downs found to be extremely rich in lithium. Samples from our production well have recorded lithium concentrations of over 350 parts per million – one of the highest concentrations recorded in the world to date.
Lithium extraction
GEL is targeting production of c30,000 tonnes per annum of zero-carbon lithium carbonate, the key raw material in the energy transition, and a focus of the UK’s Critical Minerals strategy that aims to secure a domestic supply of critical elements by 2035.
After power generation, the geothermal brines are processed to extract lithium carbonate, before being reinjected back underground in a closed loop system. The whole process is clean and efficient – our scaled-up plant will recycle all of its water. The alternative method of refining lithium is by extracting it from hard rock which is complicated, more costly and less environmentally friendly.
Since the launch of the Lithium Demonstration Plant in February 2026, GEL has been refining the extraction process of lithium, expanding the site to increase capacity for brines, and going through extensive testing processes to confirm the grade of lithium.
Next steps
As GEL begins to scale up the extraction of lithium, and explore potential to extract other critical minerals from the geothermal brines, the next phase of the project is to establish a fully commercial lithium extraction plant by 2029 and to explore larger plants in the future.
