LITHIUM and geothermal heat could be extracted from deep underground on Cornwall Council-owned land following a £1.28-million investment.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme funding will accelerate plans for a series of small-scale modular lithium and geothermal heat extraction plants that could support hundreds of jobs, attract millions of pounds of private investment and reduce carbon emissions.

The funding will support a partnership between Cornwall Council and private company Cornish Lithium Geothermal Limited to develop lithium and heat extraction from geothermal waters using innovative low carbon technology. It is the latest investment by the Good Growth Programme in developing Cornwall’s critical minerals industry on the path to net zero.

The project will see two exploration wells each drilled to a depth of around 1,000 metres where temperatures of lithium-rich waters are around 40 degrees Celsius. After reaching target depth, geothermal brines will be brought to the surface to establish lithium concentration, potential flow rates and water temperature.

If the exploration programme is successful, Cornish Lithium would undertake a full technical and commercial feasibility study prior to seeking additional private sector funding to rapidly develop a full-scale lithium and heat production facility.

The company has ambitions for multiple plants, each employing around 30 staff with each plant producing battery-grade lithium and geothermal heat for homes, schools, hospitals or  commercial and industrial buildings.

Cllr Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for economy, said: “This Good Growth investment aims to accelerate the potential for lithium and renewable heat co-production across Cornwall. Lithium is a vital component of battery technology and crucial to the net zero transition, and Cornwall has the largest lithium resource in Europe. That's why the Good Growth Programme is already investing millions of pounds in developing the strategic critical minerals sector.

"And by distributing heat from deep underground as a byproduct of extracting lithium from geothermal waters, we can potentially heat thousands of homes and businesses across Cornwall without harmful carbon emissions. Doing this using council-owned land could make the whole process even more cost-effective by generating potential returns that we can reinvest, which is why we have partnered with Cornish Lithium to identify potential sites."

Cornish Lithium has already drilled four wells in the Redruth area with its fifth well nearing completion. It is using the lithium-enriched brines from these wells to test environmentally responsible lithium extraction technologies at its pilot plant at United Downs. It is also working with residential and commercial developers on using geothermal heat across a range of settings.

Jeremy Wrathall, Cornish Lithium CEO, said: "This Good Growth investment combined with our collaboration with the council means we can significantly accelerate and expand our exploration drilling programme to establish the potential for lithium and heat co-production, including on land owned by the council. In doing so it will create further potential for green private sector investment of millions of pounds.”

One of the sites under consideration for the provision of geothermal heat is Langarth Garden Village, a development starting to take shape on the edge of Truro that will see 3,800 new homes, two schools and a range of sport and leisure facilities built over the next 20 to 25 years.

Cornwall councillor Dulcie Tudor, member for Threemilestone and Chacewater, said: "There is huge potential for the combined extraction of lithium and heat from deep underground in Cornwall. I welcome the partnership between Cornwall Council and Cornish Lithium to explore how this twin resource can reduce emissions, provide a sustainable source of lithium for the energy transition and create jobs and investment in our communities."

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is a £137-million local investment fund managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Support for local businesses is a key plank of the investment programme, increasing trade and investment while inspiring green and socially responsible enterprise.