Low-carbon, resource-efficient cement: Testing and designing a process to repurpose an industrial byproduct as an alternative construction material for the future economy

In 2020, the UK Government released a refreshed '10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution', setting out plans to reduce UK CO2 emissions by 180 million tonnes between 2023-2032\. The Government will also work with industry to devise further sectoral plans to achieve 'net zero' by 2050\. To achieve these and other decarbonisation commitments, the UK - and its European neighbours, many of which have similar plans - require widespread changes such as adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and the use of resource-efficient industrial materials.

Green Lithium is building the UK's first large-scale merchant battery-grade lithium refinery in Teesside. Based on Green Lithium's independent life-cycle assessment performed by specialist consultant Minviro, its low-carbon, clean-energy refining can drive an aggregate 75% carbon emissions reduction compared to existing Chinese operations, potentially reducing process carbon footprint from 16.2 tonnes CO2 per tonne of LiOH produced to below 4.0 tonnes.

The full-scale refinery will result in 250 long-term green jobs, plus more than 1,000 jobs and £700million of inward investment to the North East during the construction phase. In addition, it will generate further jobs and inward investment though the adoption of local supporting renewable energy, hydrogen and carbon capture infrastructure.

Green Lithium's refinery will be a cornerstone UK green-infrastructure asset, enabling UK-based cathode/anode/cell and EV manufacture, ushering in an era of decarbonisation and green jobs, and supporting long-term economic prosperity. Green Lithium plans to do this in a way that supports a circular economy for process byproducts to ensure nothing is wasted.

The company has already enjoyed support from the UK Government's Automotive Transformation Fund towards developing the feasibility and site selection. This follow-on project represents an exciting opportunity to unlock a circular economy solution for the process byproducts with potentially vast low-carbon benefits.