As per ESG Today, the sustainable lithium generated by the company is a byproduct of its geothermal process and it is a very sought-after material for many industries, including electric cars manufacturing and energy storage solutions.
2008-founded Geothermal Engineering is a British company that specializes in geothermal energy projects and power supply and is currently developing a next-generation project in Cornwall, which could come online sometime in 2024.
Company experts who ran tests at the site said that the geothermal liquid extracted shows important traces of lithium, as does pretty much any geothermal project in Europe. By exploiting geothermal power reserves, the lithium can be safely extracted, with much less environmental risk when compared to traditional lithium extraction.
In late 2024, the company expects to be able to extract 100 tons of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE), increasing the amount to 12.000 tons per year by the next decade. This amount could be enough for the manufacturing of 250.000 EV-grade cells.
Ryan Law, CEO of Geothermal Engineering, said that the high concentration of lithium carbonate "will enable us to produce meaningful quantities of lithium without damaging the environment. Our ability to produce both zero-carbon lithium and zero-carbon baseload power will provide a foundation for the electric car market to be truly sustainable in the UK."
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