UK Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero visits Green Lithium refinery site in Teesside
Teesside, United Kingdom – Monday 7 November 2022
Grant Shapps the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero attended the Green Lithium site launch event at PD Ports in Teesside where the UK’s first large-scale lithium refinery was announced.”
The refinery will create a supply of low-carbon, battery-grade lithium for use within the lithium-ion battery, energy storage, grid stabilisation and electric vehicle (EV) supply chains.
This will help meet the UK and Europe’s growing demand for battery-grade lithium whilst also ensuring the security of supply within Europe.
An article was published on the UK Government website following the event and highlights the UK Governments' support for the project.
“We’re backing companies, like Green Lithium here in Teesside, to grow the new, green industries across the UK, sparking jobs and growth for decades to come.”
“This is levelling up in action. The refinery will deliver more than 1,000 jobs during its construction and 250 long-term, high-skill jobs for local people when in operation.”
“It is also allowing us to move quickly to secure our supply chains of critical minerals, as we know that geopolitical threats and global events beyond our control can severely impact the supply of key components that could delay the rollout of electric vehicles in the UK.”
In a boost for ‘levelling up’ the Government plans to make the UK the best place in the world to do business.
Green Lithium has announced that it will develop a lithium refinery at PD Ports in Teesside. The refinery will deliver over 1,000 jobs through construction and 250 long-term local and high-skilled jobs for operations.
Currently 89% of the world’s lithium is refined in East Asia and there is no refining capability in Europe.
Green Lithium aims for this to be the first merchant lithium refinery to use a world-leading, sustainable and low-carbon refining process, which has an 80 per cent lower carbon footprint than traditional refineries in existing markets.
The UK Government has been supportive of Green Lithium. So far grants have been received from the Automotive Transformation Fund and Green Lithium continues to assess and apply for further Government support where suited.
The Green Lithium site launch event has also been covered by many other media outlets:
“Green Lithium, which is backed by the commodities trading giant Trafigura, will build a £600m refinery for the battery material at PD Ports’ Teesport, the UK’s fifth-largest port."
"The project’s backers aim to create 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and enough lithium hydroxide for 1m electric vehicles each year when the plant is complete.”
BBC and ITV News also reported on the launch event.
"On a visit to Middlesbrough, Grant Shapps the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said Green Lithium was being backed by the Government as part of growing “new, green industries across the UK."
"He said: "The battery in your phone, the battery in an electric vehicle that you may drive one day all require lithium to be refined. The company behind this is going to do that in a very green way using hydrogen and other power sources."