'Huge' lithium reserves prompts factory plan
- Andrea Stephenson
- Jun 2
- 1 min read
A company extracting lithium from remote countryside in County Durham has said it believes there are huge reserves of the mineral stored in granite below the ground.
Northern Lithium said tests on a farm in Weardale indicated there were likely to be "commercially viable" amounts in the area.
Lithium is needed for making batteries for electric vehicles and demand is expected to surge.
The company and its partner firm, Evove, now plan to build a commercial scale direct lithium extraction factory by 2027.
A small scale plant has been operating to demonstrate the possibility of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate.
