UK-based natural resources development company Weardale Lithium has received planning approval from Durham County Council to construct the UK’s largest lithium extraction facility in Eastgate, County Durham.
The facility will focus on producing battery-grade lithium carbonate using geothermal groundwater, with plans to scale to a minimum annual production of 10,000 tonnes in the coming years.
A former cement works site will undergo “significant” regeneration and redevelopment to accommodate the new facility.
According to the company, the existing infrastructure and connectivity are “well-suited” to restore this brownfield site for sustainable use.
Following the approval of the planning application, Weardale Lithium is now moving forward with the development of a continuous flow lithium extraction demonstration plant.
The facility will feature an integrated, end-to-end direct lithium extraction (DLE) and carbonisation process, enabling the on-site production of battery-grade lithium carbonate.
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This demonstration plant is not only the UK’s largest permitted lithium brine extraction facility but also the only one currently approved to produce battery-grade lithium on-site.
According to the company, continuous flow trials are a “key differentiator” as they allow for optimal abstraction performance, reservoir measurement, DLE performance optimisation, and the ability to produce multiple large samples of battery-grade lithium carbonate for customer and offtake specification and validation.
During the commercial phase, the facility is estimated to contribute around £1bn ($1.2bn) of gross value added to the North East region.
Weardale Lithium CEO Stewart Dickson said: “This is a significant milestone for Weardale Lithium and the UK’s electrification ambitions. The project aligns with the UK Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and Battery Strategy, which recognises lithium as essential to the energy transition and meeting increasing demand for battery-grade lithium carbonate from the growth of electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems.
“This planning approval for the UK’s largest lithium extraction plant is a notable step to establishing a robust, long-term and economically viable supply chain of critical minerals. The North East is well placed to be a centre of growing domestic lithium production capability as the region has all the requisite enablers to deliver our borehole to battery strategy.”
Weardale Lithium has taken the initial steps towards developing its demonstration plant by awarding a contract to multinational company KBR.
KBR will provide technology licensing and proprietary engineering design for the plant.
The engineering design is based on an integrated technology solution that has already produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from Weardale Lithium’s brine at the pilot scale, integrating KBR’s PureLi technology with Geolith SAS’ Li-Capt DLE technology.
The planning approval follows over three years of research and testing to identify the most effective DLE technology for extracting lithium from geothermal groundwaters or brines beneath the North Pennine Orefield.
The extraction process, which emphasises low environmental impact and renewable energy use, will draw brines from an existing deep, high-specification, commercial-grade abstraction well, minimising the need for local road transport and reducing visual and carbon footprint.
Dickson added: “With planning approval granted, we can now move forward and scale-up confidently producing battery-grade lithium carbonate on-site using a proven end-to-end process. This will make a significant contribution to the transition of the UK towards a carbon-zero economy.
“We are grateful for the support from Durham County Council in resolving to grant our application and the parish councils and local communities in Weardale who have overwhelmingly backed our plans to regenerate the Eastgate site and utilise the area’s natural resources in a sustainable and sensitive way that benefits all.”
