Cornish Lithium is to host community drop-in sessions to share progress of its latest exploration project. 

The mineral exploration and development company that has its headquarters at the Tremough Innovation Centre in Penryn, is offering two new opportunities for residents to learn about the progress of its geothermal lithium project in the Twelveheads area of Chacewater.

The company is hosting two drop-in sessions – on Tuesday, January 24 from 4pm until 6pm, and Saturday, January 28 from 10am until 12 noon – at The Twelveheads Methodist Church Hall.

Described as informal events, people can drop in at any time within the hours stated to view a rolling presentation of images from the site, raise any questions with members of staff and receive information sheets.

Last year Cornish Lithium drilled its research borehole at Twelveheads, to a depth of 1,701m.

It said that as a result of "encouraging" test results from the geological structures it encountered, permission has been extended by Cornwall Council for it to continue exploring the borehole further by deepening it to 2,000m. Drilling and the evaluation of findings will be completed by spring 2023.

Mike Round, head of geothermal lithium at Cornish Lithium, said: “An environmentally-sustainable domestic supply of lithium is an essential component of the UK’s transition to renewable energy and the manufacture of electric vehicles.

“Our drop-in sessions provide an invaluable opportunity for us to meet the Twelveheads community and discuss why we are undertaking additional drilling to deepen the borehole at this site, how we will test our findings and how long this process will take.

“As well as providing an operational update on what we are doing and why, we are proud to share our progress, our enthusiasm for the potential of the geology that lies beneath our feet, and our commitment to creating highly-skilled, well-paid careers for local people in the future.”

Cornish Lithium wants to secure a domestic supply of lithium for the UK and revive Cornwall’s mining heritage.

By extracting lithium from mineral-rich groundwaters that circulate beneath the surface of Cornwall, Cornish Lithium aims to provide a carbon-neutral, low-impact resource to help mitigate the global lithium shortage.

In doing so it can also produce valuable by-products, including heat, which can be used as a renewable energy source for local businesses and communities.

Further details of the Twelveheads exploration project can be found on Cornish Lithium’s website at https://cornishlithium.com/projects/lithium-in-geothermal-waters/twelveheads/

If you are unable to attend a drop-in session and would like more information about Cornish Lithium’s drilling programme, or have any questions about it, email drilling@cornishlithium.com or telephone the drilling team on 01326 640049.