Public consultation for lithium plant in St Austell

Lithium is used in the new generation of batteries to help combat climate change

Talks to build a full-scale lithium processing plant in St Austell are under way.

Imerys British Lithium (IBL) has been researching and developing newly-patented methods of extracting lithium from Cornish granite since 2017.

Lithium is used in the new generation of batteries to help combat climate change and is used in batteries for portable devices and electric vehicles.

Public consultation sessions will take place "in the coming months".

An operational pilot plant has been running near Roche since 2022 and it has already produced high quality lithium carbonate, the company said.

IBL Chief Executive Andrew Smith said the company was aiming to be "one of the most sustainable lithium producers in the world".

He added: "Cornwall's blessed with this granitic intrusion so we have a special type of granite in Cornwall that contains this lithium-mica."

He said IBL had spent the past five years developing the technology to "exploit that lithium" and "remove it from the granite" and transform it into "a lithium carbonate, the raw ingredient which goes into electric batteries".

An operational pilot plant has been running near Roche since 2022

IBL said it would contract local suppliers "whenever possible" and it would employ more than 300 staff on site when fully operational.

Mark Hewson, Lead Imerys UK operator, said its work would help to tackle climate change.

"We're talking about producing 20,000 tonnes of lithium a year, which is enough for around half a million car batteries, so a significant contribution to the net-zero direction that we're all working towards," he said.

"We have a big footprint, a big operation.

"We employ so many people directly and indirectly so it is something we take very seriously."

The first public consultation will take place at the Roche Victory Hall Social Club on Wednesday 21 February from 14:00 to 19:00 GMT, with future consultations in Bugle, Trewoon, Penwithick, St Austell, Treverbyn, St Dennis, St Stephen and Fraddon to be planned.