Introduction

The ‘Li4UK’ consortium and Tevi invite you to attend our workshop centred around mapping out the route to securing a domestic supply of battery-quality lithium chemicals for the UK’s electric vehicle automotive industry. The workshop aims to address three key themes:

• What are the benefits and challenges of securing a domestic supply chain?
• How can the circular economy be enabled in the supply chain?
• What is the UK’s future demand for lithium going to look like and identify any upcoming specification requirements (especially impurities)

The purpose of the workshop is to create a roadmap for stakeholders and government and identify, and connect, companies and research groups active in each step of the supply chain including: mining, chemical production, cathode or anode production, cell manufacture, and end users such as the automotive industry. By bringing together stakeholders with experts from across the industry, we aim to facilitate collective thinking and identify future demand for lithium products, which will directly inform UK mining companies of the materials that are of most use to those further along the value chain. This workshop is timely, as security of supply and reducing the environmental impact of producing and transporting the raw materials used in the manufacture of batteries grows increasingly important. We aim to stimulate connections between stakeholders who can work together beyond this event to efficiently forecast and produce what the industry requires.

Timings and speakers

The meeting will run from 9:30 to 15:00 and includes a networking session over lunch. Speakers will include representatives of Tevi, the Li4UK consortium and several local- and national-level stakeholders.

About Li4UK

‘Securing a Domestic Lithium Supply Chain for the UK’ (‘Li4UK’) is a project funded by Innovate UK as part of the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge. The demand for lithium compounds used in lithium ion batteries (‘LIBs’) is expected to grow exponentially, driven largely by the increase in electric vehicle (‘EV’) production. Currently the UK, like the rest of Europe, is almost totally dependent upon Chinese supplies of battery grade lithium compounds (mostly Lithium Carbonate or Lithium Hydroxide or other, LiF for example) used in LIB manufacture. The consortium will address a critical missing link in the UK’s battery material supply chain by identifying the requisite processing technologies and possible sources of raw materials needed to develop a sustainable, domestic supply chain of battery quality lithium. The Li4UK consortium comprises the Natural History Museum, Cornish Lithium and Wardell Armstrong.

Tevi

Tevi is an ERDF-funded programme supporting Cornish SMEs to grow whist contributing to Cornwall’s environmental growth priorities and circular economy transition. Tevi currently supports over 300 enterprises through bespoke consultancy services, challenge networks and a grant scheme. Tevi is delivered by the University of Exeter in partnership with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Council and Cornwall Development Company.

Directions and travel

The Old Bakery Studios are centrally located in Truro, next door to BBC Radio Cornwall. Garras Wharf (next to Tesco) is the closest car park. Check this page to find out how the venue can be accessed using a range of public transportation options.

Data Protection and Privacy

To aid the organisation of this workshop, attendee information may be shared with relevant staff across Tevi partners. To facilitate collaboration around this event’s topic attendee email addresses will be shared with attendees following the event, when an attendee has explicitly given their written consent for this on the day. We will store your information securely, so that we can communicate to you about the event (e.g. cancellation of event, changes to the itinerary, a satisfaction survey). For more information on Eventbrite’s own privacy policy, please visit their pages.