Two Cornish companies have joined forces to find suitable sites where geothermal lithium may be found near Redruth.
Cornish Lithium Ltd, the mineral exploration and development company, has announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Rodda's, producers of Cornish clotted cream.
They will now work together to evaluate suitable sites on land owned by Rodda's, where geothermal lithium production and geothermal heat could be investigated.
Cornish Lithium plans to test for lithium in geothermal waters near the creamery at Scorrier, and it is hoped that Rodda's will be able to use the resulting renewable geothermal heat to potentially decarbonise production processes.
In 2019 the company drilled two successful research boreholes at United Downs near Gwennap, which confirmed that the geothermal waters were "significantly enriched" in lithium from 600m (2,000ft) beneath the surface.
It now plans to drill a 2,000m (6,500 ft) deep borehole at North Downs, near Scorrier, to explore the possibility of co-production of lithium and heat.
Rock core will be recovered from this research borehole, which will be used to identify the location of naturally permeable structures in the rock that geothermal water is flowing through.
A borehole pump will be used to obtain water samples from these geological structures, which will be analysed for their lithium concentration.
The temperature profile of the borehole will also be analysed, to understand how the heat can be best used by local industries.
Cornwall Lithium LTD will work with Rodda's
Cornish Lithium is now preparing to host four events in the area, to allow local residents the chance to ask questions.
Further details of the company’s proposed work programme at North Downs can also be found on its website at cornishlithium.com/projects/lithium-in-geothermal-waters/north-downs/
Mike Round, head of geothermal lithium for Cornish Lithium, said:“We are keen to commence our formal community engagement programme for this proposed small research borehole and we are hosting four public information events at locations around the North Downs area in the coming weeks.
"If you are a local resident who has questions about this proposed drill site, or Cornish Lithium's work to develop an environmentally responsible source of lithium for the UK, we would like to speak to you. Please do come along to one of these drop-in sessions and meet the team."
The first of these took place this afternoon at Radnor Gold & Leisure Clubhouse. There will then be another session this Saturday, at Blackwater Village Hall, between 10am and 12pm, a third on Monday at the same location between 12pm and 2pm, and the final event will take place at Radnor Golf and Leisure Clubhouse in Camborne next Thursday, July 28 between 2pm and 4 pm.
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