The use of lithium on producing electric car batteries is now an established technology, but the need to turn enough lithium titanate into refined material and then into sufficient batteries is a huge challenge, a major figure on the sector has said.

Speaking to Canadian news channel CNBC, the CEO of American Lithium Simon Clarke said that the International Energy Agency and “other groups” have been “calling for up to 50 new mines to be built by 2050”.

He added that a conference he attended in Los Angeles recently heard that the industry needs to “move from an installed base on the lithium ion side of 600 Gigawatts of batteries to 300 Terrawatts of batteries by 2050” if net zero targets are to be met. 

Summarising the challenge faced by the sector in achieving such goals, he stated: “The problem with lithium is there’s plenty of it out there, but it’s extremely difficult to recover it.” For this reason, he added, a “concerted push” is needed by western nations to develop the requisite technology to catch up with the lead established in this field by China.

Much of this effort may come in the UK, which currently has no lithium mines but could soon see extraction from hard rock and geothermal brines in Cornwall and County Durham, thanks to the work of Cornish Lithium and Weardale Lithium respectively. The latter has a deal in place to supply lithium to Green Lithium’s upcoming refinery in Middlesbrough, which will be Britain’s first. 

All this may ease the pressure on global production as well as helping the UK establish a viable and important lithium industry, with carmakers based in the UK potentially enjoying a reliable supply of domestically-sourced lithium to serve their battery factories. 

While electric vehicles will now be taxed from 2025 following a recent announcement in the government’s Autumn Statement, the banning of new sales of petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK will make it particularly important for any UK car manufacturers serving the domestic market to be able to access the quantities of refined lithium and batteries they need.