Lithium: A white gold rush excites Cornwall - but who gains?

Towering over a high street in a former mining heartland, a statue of a pitman reminds Cornwall of its industrial past.

In this part of south-west England, the mining industry used to be an economic powerhouse and in recent years, it's been making a tentative comeback.

A new generation of miners are hoping the natural resources that put Cornwall on the map will once again bring wealth to the county.

This time, the miners are using cutting-edge technology to get their hands on lithium - a metal used to make batteries for everyday electronic devices we all rely on, from laptops to smartphones.

These lithium-ion batteries also power the electric cars that will be crucial to cutting carbon emissions and limiting the worst effects of climate change.

The mining industry has the potential to revitalise the tourism-dependent economy of Cornwall, where some areas are among the most deprived in England.

But while the mining revival excites much of Cornwall, there's uncertainty over whether lithium really will be the golden ticket the area has long been waiting for - benefitting people in a way that doesn't harm the environment while bringing back well-paid mining jobs.

In 2020, Cornish Lithium found significant levels of the metal in hot springs underground near Redruth, enough to create hundreds of jobs. It's also been drilling for lithium in hard rock at a disused china clay pit near St Austell.

The company is aiming to start production by 2026 and expects to extract about 10,000 tonnes of lithium each year. That's about 12.5% of the 80,000 tonnes the UK is forecast to need a year by 2030.

They'll be competition from British Lithium, a rival company that's looking to mine the metal from an open pit in St Austell.

Estimates of the lithium industry's market value vary, with one report forecasting global revenue worth almost $19bn (£15bn) by 2030.

With lithium prices expected to rise worldwide, the economic prize on offer is tantalising.

Overall, "the community is pretty favourable", says Frances Wall, professor of applied mineralogy at the Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall.

The excitement has been building, she says, but adds "if you go to individual areas, there are certainly people who are concerned".

They often mention the environmental toll some lithium mining operations have taken in South America and fear that may be repeated in Cornwall.

"It's got to be done as cleanly as possible", says Holly Whitelaw, the director of the Cornwall Climate Action Network.

She says "some lithium mining abroad is horrific" and companies in the UK have a chance to set better standards globally.

And the founder of Cornish Lithium, Jeremy Wrathall, believes they can.

He says his company uses more environmentally friendly methods than those elsewhere.

For example, one technique involves pumping up hot brine from underground and removing the lithium, in a process he compares to a big version of a Britta water filter.

Mr Wrathall, a former investment banker, says there's enthusiasm for what his company is doing because of Cornwall's long history of mining.

"We recognise it could bring huge economic benefits and if we don't, if nothing happens, the outlook is bleak for Cornwall," he says.

One local climate activist, Nichola Andersen, is sceptical and claims she knows "a lot of people around the Cornish Lithium project who are against it".

"I'm very suspicious of it, bearing in mind the history of companies in Cornwall," she says.

"Anyone exploiting the resources here are just trying to feather their own nest.

"It's just another example of people extracting value out of Cornwall. The money goes out of Cornwall and never comes back."

Loveday Jenkin, a Mebyon Kernow member of Cornwall Council, is more optimistic. She welcomes the prospect of high-quality jobs in keeping with Cornwall's tradition of skilled engineering.

But she doesn't want to see lithium mined here exported abroad. She asked: "Why don't we have a lithium battery factory in Cornwall?"

It's a good question, and an awkward one for the UK.

Currently, the UK only has one large battery factory in operation - the Chinese-owned Envision plant in Sunderland. A second Envision plant is under construction, while a third - Britishvolt - is floundering after collapsing into administration at the start of this year.

In the race to build these so-called gigafactories, the UK is lagging behind the likes of China, which is estimated to have more than 100 active plants. Even in western Europe, there are 38 gigafactories either operational or planned, according to the Faraday Institution.

Simon Moores, managing director of consultancy Benchmark Minerals, has his doubts.

He says the UK is losing the "global battery arms race" after "hesitating over any kind of strategy on electric vehicles and lithium for a long time".

Benchmark Minerals has calculated that the UK needs to spend about £100bn to spark a new electric vehicle industry - £20bn to set up new gigafactories and £80bn to build the supply chain that feeds it.

Without this battery ecosystem, the future of the UK's automotive industry is hanging in the balance.

"As a Brit, I'm very concerned about that," Mr Wrathall says. "But in terms of what we're doing with Cornish Lithium, we'll export it if there's no automotive industry here. It would be a tragedy."

Cornish Lithium has received government funding for its projects, including £2.9m towards its pilot geothermal lithium plant near Redruth. The government says its Critical Minerals Strategy highlights its progress on supporting lithium projects and battery manufacturing in the UK.

"From the tip of Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands, we are creating the right conditions for critical mineral businesses to grow by offering financial support," a government spokesperson said.

The Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, Steve Double, says some opportunities had been created thanks to government support.

"But because of the global economic situation there have been some challenges around that," he says.

He agrees there's plenty more to be done before the people of Cornwall can see the benefits of its white gold rush.

"If a gigafactory became possible, I'd love to see it happen," Mr Double says.