Weardale Lithium, a groundbreaking natural resources development company situated in County Durham, has received unanimous planning permission from Durham County Council to establish the UK’s most extensive lithium extraction facility. The facility is set to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate from geothermal groundwaters and aims to scale up to a commercial production target of minimum 10,000 tonnes per annum.
Located at the former cement works in Eastgate, Weardale, the facility marks a significant regeneration and redevelopment scheme, bringing the brownfield site back into sustainable use while providing both local and regional economic benefits. The project is aligned with the UK Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and Battery Strategy and will establish a robust, long-term, and economically viable supply chain of critical minerals.
Using Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, lithium will be extracted from geothermal groundwaters in a low-impact, low-carbon, and low-water usage method. Weardale Lithium has already engaged multinational firm KBR Inc. to provide technology licensing and proprietary engineering design for the plant. The proprietary engineering design is based on an integrated technology offering, which has already successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate at pilot scale.
The demonstration plant’s construction will create between 20 and 50 jobs on site, with an additional employment boost in the local construction sector and supply chains. During the commercial phase, Weardale Lithium estimates approximately 125 highly skilled jobs will be created in the region, generating around £1 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) for the North East.
The approved planning application represents a multi-million-pound investment in the local and regional economy, with the facility set to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate using renewable energy sources and a proven end-to-end process. The company’s goal is to make a significant contribution to the transition to a carbon-zero economy in the UK.
Weardale Lithium is committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility, ensuring the extraction of lithium has a lower carbon footprint and higher sustainability credentials (low water consumption and low waste) than other lithium sources. The development is expected to provide national supply resilience and security with a lower environmental impact for electric vehicle and battery energy storage systems.
