Worley awarded contract for Green Lithium’s UK refinery
12 Oct 2022
Worley has secured an engineering services contract to support what is claimed to be the UK’s first large-scale lithium refinery.
Green Lithium is building the site which will create low-carbon, battery-grade lithium chemicals to help meet growing demand in Europe.
Worley will provide engineering services including developing the balance of engineering, supporting critical planning, permitting activities and developing documents for controls systems and automation.
“This will help markets dependent on battery-grade lithium to secure reliable feedstock and build sustainable technology vital to the energy transition. These are important steps on the journey to delivering a more sustainable world,” said Ross McPherson, Worley senior vice president, chemicals, fuels and resources, EMEA.
He added that demand for battery-grade lithium chemicals, which is projected to grow to 800,000 tonnes by 2030, enabling decarbonisation objectives, green jobs, and long-term economic prosperity.
The new refinery will able to produce 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium a year – which would be equivalent to six per cent of the continent’s anticipated battery demand by 2030, sufficient to produce one million electric vehicles annually.
“There is currently no lithium refining capability in Europe. Without localised supply, the automotive and battery manufacturing sectors in the UK and EU will fail.
"Critically, Green Lithium will use a world-leading, sustainable, and low-carbon refining process, which has an 80 percent lower carbon footprint than traditional refineries in existing markets,” said Green Lithium CEO Sean Sargent, who added that the refinery would be commissioned for use by 2025.
Pic: Kelly@pexels
