Recipient organisationUniversity of ExeterSource-published name: University of Exeter
Funding£4.8M
PeriodSept 2024 — Sept 2028
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Southwest England could soon produce lithium, rare earths, and other critical minerals needed for electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and digital devices—the International Energy Agency estimates demand for lithium alone could rise 40-fold by 2040. The UK currently relies almost entirely on imports for these materials, creating supply chain vulnerabilities as the country pushes toward net-zero emissions. New mines in the region could each employ 200–350 people in high-value jobs, with each direct job creating up to five indirect positions. But development faces hurdles: the mineral deposits are of new types requiring technical innovations, and projects must secure local community support, deliver biodiversity net gain, and attract sustainable investors. The Centre brings together researchers from geology, ecology, sustainable finance, and social science to tackle these challenges simultaneously. It works directly with six active exploration companies and roughly 70 local service and equipment firms, most of them small businesses. If successful, the Centre could accelerate domestic production of critical minerals, reduce import dependence, and build a lasting industry cluster in Southwest England—while demonstrating how mining can align with environmental and social goals.
View original technical description
Critical Minerals are the raw materials and enablers of the transition to Net Zero, and essential ingredients of all digital technologies and advanced manufacturing. Lithium, tin, tungsten, cobalt, rare earths and other critical and strategic metals and minerals make the green economy work. The International Energy Agency estimates that up to 40x more lithium and seven times more rare earths may be needed by 2040 than is presently produced each year. Southwest England is the leading UK region for potential production of critical minerals, with six active exploration and development companies, a history of metals mining that led the world and some 70 service and equipment companies (predominantly SMEs and microbusiness) with a global client base. Development of the sector is recognised as a unique opportunity for economic development in the region. Each new mine will employ 200 – 350 staff, in high-value jobs that are much needed, and each job will create as many as five times the number of indirect jobs. There are several challenges to be overcome to speed up the development of critical minerals production. They include both technical innovations for the new types of mineral deposits now being explored and making sure that projects have strong partnerships with the local community; result in biodiversity net gain, and make an attractive proposition for investors, especially for the sustainable investment sector looking to invest in the green economy. The content of our Centre is informed by the 12 principles of UN Resource Management System as a framework to consider commercialisation combined with the ESG and circular economy actions needed to ensure real sustainable development and attract investment. This Centre has been created in partnership with SW England businesses, local government and other organisations who have committed considerable time and resources to the proposed research and innovation. The activities of the Centre will help to implement the UK critical minerals strategy by accelerating commercialisation of projects for domestic production of critical minerals, and expanding the associated industry cluster that is already operating worldwide to enhance mineral production. It forms the core of a wider academic-industry University of Exeter initiative to form a Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence. The Centre builds on a wide and substantial body of international and regional research at Camborne School of Mines (CSM) and well-established collaborations with the Business School on circular economy. It brings new transdisciplinary, world-leading, applied research in ecology, sustainable investment, social studies and politics to benefit innovation in Southwest England.
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