The United Kingdom has released a new 10-year Critical Minerals Strategy aimed at lifting the share of critical minerals sourced from domestic mining and recycling to 30% by 2035, up from roughly 6% today. The plan introduces legally binding targets requiring 10% of demand to be met through UK production, 20% through recycling and limiting reliance on any single foreign supplier to no more than 60% per mineral. The initiative aligns Britain with U.S., Canadian and EU efforts to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said critical minerals underpin modern life and national security, arguing that cutting exposure to a small number of overseas suppliers would help shield the economy from future disruptions. Backed by up to £50 million in new funding, the strategy also aims to secure at least 50,000 tonnes of domestic lithium production by 2035 amid forecasts that demand for copper will nearly double and lithium demand will surge more than 1,100% as EVs, wind energy projects and AI data centres expand.
The strategy draws on the British Geological Survey’s 2024 assessment, which expanded the UK’s list of critical minerals from 18 to 34, adding nickel, iron, aluminium, germanium and chromium while removing palladium. The update brings the UK’s list in line with Canada and the EU, though still shorter than the U.S. roster of 50 minerals.
Several domestic hubs are central to delivering the plan: Cornwall’s major lithium resources, tungsten deposits in Devon, the Clydach nickel refinery in Wales and Less Common Metals’ alloy facility at Ellesmere Port, one of the West’s few producers of rare earth alloys used in wind turbines and F-35 fighter jets. Industry groups say these projects will create high-quality jobs and strengthen supply chain resilience. Cornish Lithium, which recently raised £31 million for its Trelavour and Cross Lanes projects, called government support “essential” for producing battery-grade lithium at scale.
Tin and tungsten projects are also set to benefit. Cornish Metals welcomed the critical mineral designation for tin, supported by a £28.6-million National Wealth Fund investment in the South Crofty mine, expected to create over 300 direct jobs. Tungsten West’s Hemerdon project in Devon, one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits, is shaping up as an early test of the strategy, with plans to enter production in late 2026.
Beyond mining, the UK is leaning heavily on midstream processing and recycling. Ionic Technologies in Belfast and Hypromag in Birmingham are developing rare earth magnet recycling solutions with significantly lower environmental impact than primary extraction.
Internationally, the strategy is more targeted but smaller in scale compared with U.S. and Canadian approaches. While the UK’s funding remains limited—£50 million in new support on top of earlier commitments—the government aims to de-risk strategic projects and strengthen midstream capacity. Industry leaders say clarity of vision is as important as financial backing.
The plan also responds to China’s dominance of global critical mineral supply chains, especially in rare earths, where Beijing controls about 70% of mining and 90% of refining. The UK is considering stockpiling key materials and coordinating with NATO partners. It also promises faster permitting via priority processing lanes and lower power costs for industry under the upcoming British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
While the UK’s critical minerals sector currently contributes £1.8 billion to the economy and supports more than 50,000 jobs, experts warn that domestic mining, processing and recycling must scale rapidly to prevent supply bottlenecks. Questions also remain over minerals excluded from the UK’s critical list, such as copper, despite its central role in electrification.
Communities in mining regions will weigh the economic benefits against environmental and cultural concerns, but industry leaders argue that Britain’s renewed focus on critical minerals marks a shift from its traditional role as a global financing hub to an active player across the value chain.
