There are plans to mine the ‘Cornish alps’ reserves for use in EVs and the energy system, but not everyone is so bullish about their viability
“This area is affectionately known as the Cornish alps,” says Neil Elliot, pointing at a spike-shaped mound in the hills above St Austell. “The peaks round here are all man-made. They’re waste left over from the old china clay mines.”
The mines are mostly closed now, put out of business by competition from Brazil, but Elliot is part of a new rush for the riches in this landscape. If your kitchen has a granite work surface, you can probably see those riches for yourself. The tiny brown flecks in Cornwall’s granite contain a mineral for which the world has a sudden and ravenous appetite: lithium.
Lithium is a key ingredient in the batteries that are not only powering more and more of the world’s cars, but also playing an increasingly important role in the energy system. Hooked up to the grid, they absorb renewable energy when it is abundant and release it when scarce.
For the rest of this article: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/cornwall-lithium-china-batteries-times-earth-22lwkdlt7