Critical Minerals
From beneath your feet
Cornwall’s granite bedrock is enriched with Europe’s largest lithium deposits alongside high-grade tin, tungsten and copper. These critical minerals help power every electric vehicle battery, wind turbine and clean energy system. They’re also the materials modern defence runs on.
The Opportunity
Yet the UK currently imports 100% of these materials. And as the demand for lithium alone is set to grow by more than 500% by 2050, dependence on unstable global supply chains is no longer a manageable risk – it’s an active one.
Wanted by NATO. Needed for net zero.
Cornish lithium and tungsten sit on NATO’s Defence Critical Raw Materials register, recognising their importance to military hardware, energy storage and communications systems. As the UK moves towards net zero – and manufacturers mandate responsible sourcing back to the point of extraction – Cornwall’s fully traceable, low-carbon supply chain becomes a commercial and regulatory advantage as much as an environmental one.
Deep roots. Ready to scale.
Cornwall’s position is built on more than geology. When the mines closed, the knowledge didn’t leave – it moved into universities, supply chain businesses and the 110+ specialist companies now bringing it back to the surface.
Today, that community spans geotechnical engineers, hydrogeologists, mineral processing specialists and environmental consultants – the full spectrum of expertise needed to extract responsibly at scale. At its centre sits Camborne School of Mines, one of the world’s leading mining institutions, which prepares the next generation of specialists as they graduate into an industry that’s actively growing and already hiring.
Active projects. Real impact
Cornwall’s critical minerals sector has been designated a High Potential Opportunity by the Department for Business and Trade – one of a small number of sectors across the UK to carry that status. The investment pipeline is live. Multiple projects are operational. The question isn’t whether Cornwall can contribute significantly to the UK’s critical mineral supply; it’s how quickly.
110+ businesses
in Cornwall's critical minerals network today
£73m GVA, 800+ jobs
generated by the sector today
50%+ of the UK’s lithium needs
Cornwall could supply
2,000–3,000 jobs
Cornwall could create locally at full development
100,000 jobs
nationally across automotive and advanced manufacturing
NATO-listed
lithium and tungsten on the Defence Critical Raw Materials register
Cornish Lithium | Trelavour and Geothermal Waters
Two sites. Two lithium extraction methods.
Cornish Metals | South Crofty
the fourth highest-grade tin resource in the world
Cornwall Resources | Redmoor
potential to supply 5% of global demand
GEL | United Downs
the UK’s first commercial deep geothermal power plant and lithium extraction from geothermal brines
The Opportunity
Part of something bigger
Cornwall’s critical minerals sector doesn’t operate in isolation; it’s part of something bigger. Each project connects to something broader – an ecosystem where progress in one sector powers the next.
