A mineral exploration company has struck a deal with Rodda’s to look for viable sites on the Cornish clotted cream producer’s land where geothermal lithium and heat could be developed on a commercial basis.
Cornish Lithium will be responsible for designing and drilling a small research borehole as well as obtaining the required planning consents and permits.
The firm said if the project was found to be viable, Rodda’s could use any resulting renewable geothermal heat to potentially decarbonise production processes at its Scorrier-based creamery, near Redruth.
Penryn-based Cornish Lithium, which recently secured a further £9m investment from major shareholder TechMet, reached an agreement earlier this year with energy firm IGas Energy Plc to look for geothermal heat production sites in the Duchy.
These projects will also look to develop supplies of renewable heat to industrial customers and will also evaluate the potential to extract lithium from the geothermal waters.
In April the company also announced the completion of a £4m pilot lithium extraction plant at United Downs, which it is expecting to confirm production capability, enabling the design of a commercial plant. Lithium is seen as a vital component in the production of batteries for electric vehicles.
Cornish Lithium said the research borehole it will drill on Rodda’s land would be on a similar scale to one it is currently drilling in the Twelveheads area of Chacewater.
Jeremy Wrathall, founder and chief executive of Cornish Lithium, said the partnership with Rodda’s would help secure highly skilled jobs for local people, and put Cornwall “at the forefront of the UK’s green industrial revolution”.
Mr Wrathall said: “A successful geothermal lithium and heat project in Cornwall will demonstrate the potential for creating a truly sustainable source of lithium to support the UK’s growing battery industry whilst at the same time helping to decarbonise local businesses and provide them with a more sustainable future energy source.”
Nicholas Rodda, managing director of Rodda’s, added: “We feel this exploration project could provide valuable information around using geothermal waters as a source of heat energy. Rodda’s utilises heat in its production processes, which is currently generated using natural gas.
“By creating a renewable geothermal heat source for Rodda’s, there is a significant opportunity to make our production processes even more environmentally friendly.”
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