Trelavour Hard Rock Lithium Scoping Study

Trelavour 硬岩锂范围研究

• 批准号: 10004555
• 金额: $ 86.84万
• 依托单位: CORNISH LITHIUM LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: BEIS-Funded Programmes
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10004555
• 关键词: Trelavour; Hard; Rock; Lithium; Scoping

This scoping study will enable Cornish Lithium to evaluate process parameters regarding the production of "battery quality" lithium hydroxide at pilot plant scale in Cornwall. Battery quality lithium hydroxide is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries and thus a key requirement for the electrified automotive supply chain in the UK.In the words of the Volkswagen Group, "lithium is the essential element of the electric era". As the UK transitions to electric vehicles (EVs) to meet the 2050 Net Zero Carbon ambition, demand for lithium-ion batteries will rapidly increase. Lithium was recently added to the EU's "Critical Raw Materials" list based on its economic significance in battery manufacturing and a supply chain reliant on China. The Faraday Institute estimates the UK requires 50,000 - 60,000tpa of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by 2035\. In 2020 the Prime Minister highlighted the strategic importance of investigating the possibility of a secure domestic supply from known deposits in Cornwall. This aligns with Clean Growth and Future of Mobility ambitions of the UK Industrial Strategy. A secure supply of lithium will be value accretive for the UK economy and will reduce reliance on imports.This feasibility study will comprise design & engineering for mining, mineral processing and hydrometallurgical testwork to technically derisk the construction of a pilot lithium extraction plant, producing low carbon, battery quality lithium hydroxide from a hard rock source in St Austell, Cornwall. This project will expedite Cornish Lithium's ambition to commence commercial production of lithium hydroxide within 3-5 years.A 1987 report by the British Geological Survey highlighted the lithium potential of the St Austell China Clay Region in Cornwall but no further work was done. Subsequently, lithium has emerged as a vital component of lithium-ion batteries and thus plays an essential part in the transition to a decarbonised economy. It is now considered crucial to the UK economy and the domestic automotive sector that the potential for commercial production of lithium from this source is re-evaluated. This is particularly true given newly developed extraction technologies, such as that developed by Lepidico, for which Cornish Lithium has an exclusive licence in the St Austell region of Cornwall. The licence to the Lepidico extraction technology enables Cornish Lithium to directly produce battery quality lithium hydroxide on site in Cornwall, which is considered a key advantage for the UK economy given the competitive threat of Chinese dominance in lithium battery chemical processing.

这项范围研究将使康尼什锂公司能够在康沃尔的中试工厂规模上评估有关生产“电池质量”氢氧化锂的工艺参数。电池质量氢氧化锂是电动汽车电池的重要组成部分，因此是英国电动汽车供应链的关键要求。用大众汽车集团的话说，锂是电动时代的基本元素。随着英国转向电动汽车(EVS)以实现2050年净零碳目标，对锂离子电池的需求将迅速增长。基于锂在电池制造中的经济意义以及依赖中国的供应链，锂最近被添加到欧盟的“关键原材料”名单中。法拉第研究所估计，到2035年，英国需要50,000-60,000吨碳酸锂当量(LCE)。2020年，总理强调了调查康沃尔已知矿藏能否确保国内供应的战略重要性。这与英国工业战略的清洁增长和未来移动性的雄心是一致的。稳定的锂供应将为英国经济增加价值，并将减少对进口的依赖。这项可行性研究将包括采矿、选矿和湿法冶金测试的设计和工程，以从技术上降低试点锂提取厂的建设风险，从康沃尔的圣奥斯特尔的硬岩来源生产低碳、电池质量的氢氧化锂。该项目将加速康沃尔锂公司在3-5年内开始商业生产氢氧化锂的雄心。1987年英国地质调查局的一份报告强调了康沃尔圣奥斯特尔中国粘土地区的锂潜力，但没有做进一步的工作。随后，锂已成为锂离子电池的重要组成部分，因此在向脱碳经济转型的过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。现在人们认为，重新评估从这一来源生产锂的商业潜力对英国经济和国内汽车行业至关重要。考虑到新开发的提取技术，尤其是康尼什锂公司开发的提取技术，康尼什锂公司在康沃尔的圣奥斯特尔地区拥有独家许可证。获得LEpico提取技术的许可，使康尼什锂公司能够在康沃尔的现场直接生产电池质量的氢氧化锂，鉴于中国在锂电池化学加工领域主导地位的竞争威胁，这被认为是英国经济的一个关键优势。