Leading the charge to a zero-emission future

Green Lithium's proposed UK refinery development was designed to help address one of the key challenges facing Europe's energy transition: securing reliable supplies of battery-grade lithium closer to home. At the time the project began, Europe was seeking to expand domestic battery material supply chains and reduce dependence on imported refined lithium, as demand from electric vehicle manufacturing continued to grow. As Owner's Engineer, Wood supported the development by providing technical, environmental and project delivery expertise, helping advance plans for what was intended to become a significant addition to Europe's future battery materials infrastructure. Forecasts at the time suggested the region would require around 600,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium chemicals annually, underlining the scale of the opportunity for projects such as Green Lithium.

The need for secure, lower-carbon sources of battery-grade lithium remains an important focus for governments, investors and manufacturers as Europe continues to strengthen its electric vehicle and energy storage supply chains.

Since this article was first published, the conversation around critical minerals, battery supply chains and industrial decarbonisation has continued to evolve.  Across Europe, organisations are working to strengthen regional supply chains for battery materials while balancing economic competitiveness, energy security and sustainability goals. Projects such as Green Lithium remain part of a broader effort to develop domestic refining capability and support long-term demand from electric vehicles and energy storage applications.

The project had a number of ambitious environmental objectives, including net-zero ambitions by 2030, carbon capture and water reuse. The team also adopted an enterprise delivery model that aligned project participants around shared goals and outcomes.

Wood brought its comprehensive environmental and technical delivery expertise to this project. Since the lithium refinery was a first for both the UK and Europe, this included support for project implementation – in terms of meeting the highest standards for Health & Safety, plus all standards for quality, in addition to codes of practice and specifications for the UK and Europe. Wood's Mining & Minerals team in Australia, which had recently delivered a similar project, also provided technical guidance, lessons learned and peer reviews throughout the development process.

The project was conceived as a keystone industrial asset to help strengthen Europe's battery materials supply chain and expand regional production of battery-grade lithium. It was also expected to support the UK's green economy through the reliable supply of critical materials.

Project estimates at the time indicated that construction could support more than 1,000 jobs, with around 200 permanent operational roles anticipated once the facility was fully operational.

In the longer term, the development was intended to contribute to a broader minerals processing ecosystem in Europe while helping build the recycling expertise and technical skills needed to support future industrial projects.

The opportunity extends beyond a single facility. Establishing regional expertise in refining, processing and recycling critical minerals remains an important part of creating resilient supply chains for the energy transition.  As demand for batteries, electrification and energy storage continues to grow, experience gained through projects such as Green Lithium helps build the technical capability, partnerships and workforce needed for future industrial developments across the UK and Europe.

Experience gained across industries can play an important role in advancing new energy transition projects. Expertise developed through metals refining, major infrastructure delivery and environmental projects provides valuable insights that can be applied to emerging sectors such as battery materials and critical minerals.

Projects of this scale require technical specialists, environmental experts and delivery teams to work together across multiple disciplines and regions. Bringing different perspectives together helps organisations navigate complex challenges while maintaining a strong focus on safety, sustainability and project outcomes.

Diversity of thought remains an important factor in delivering successful projects and supporting innovation across the engineering profession. Encouraging broader participation in engineering careers, including greater representation of women across technical and leadership roles, continues to strengthen the industry as it evolves.

One aspect that continues to stand out is the collaboration required to deliver projects of this scale and complexity. Bringing together expertise from across disciplines and geographies remains essential as industries work towards lower-carbon operations and more secure supply chains. While technologies, markets and delivery timelines may evolve, the underlying challenge of developing sustainable industrial infrastructure remains as relevant today as when this project began.