Lithium in the UK

It’s well known that lithium is a hugely important resource for battery technology. But what is it used for? Where does it come from?

Dr. Chris Jones from the APC’s Technology Trends team is back in the booth for this episode of the Road to Net Zero to answer some of these questions.

Nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) based chemistries are expected to be the two most popular cathode chemistries for the coming decade.

NMC comprises lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. Aluminium can be added to improve cycle life.

LFP comprises lithium and iron phosphate, while manganese can be added to improve energy density.

Both are lithium-ion chemistries and require a source of lithium.

Lithium salts can be obtained through two primary methods: mining hard rock, such as spodumene, and extracting from subterranean brine sources.

There are opportunities to find lithium in the UK as mapped by the British Geological Survey and Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. The government has laid out its Critical Minerals Strategy to power the green industrial revolution, but with a lack of skills and need for more investment, does the country need to make

Once extracted, lithium requires refining. China currently dominates global lithium refining capacity, but again there is potential to expand facilities in the UK and Europe.

More information and data can be found in our Q3 Demand Report Q3-2023-Quarterly-Automotive-Demand-Forecast-Report.pdf (apcuk.co.uk) and subsequent quarterly demand reports.