A mineral exploration company located in Penryn played host to pupils from schools across Cornwall as part of British Science Week.

Cornish Lithium, the mineral exploration and development company that is headquartered at the Tremough Innovation Centre in Penryn, and GeoCubed Ltd, the joint venture that is majority-owned by Cornish Lithium, have said they are pleased to announce that they have jointly hosted pupils from a number of Cornish schools and colleges at their Geothermal Water Test Site at United Downs as part of British Science Week.

This site has been established to test the viability of utilising environmentally-friendly Direct Lithium Extraction technologies on Cornish geothermal waters to extract lithium, which is a vital element of batteries such as those used in electric vehicles.

British Science Week is a celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, and its theme for this year is growth.

This initiative is led by the British Science Association and backed by UK Research and Innovation.

Cornish Lithium and GeoCubed welcomed Year 4 and 5 students from St Day Primary School; Truro School’s Lower Sixth; a cohort of T Level students from Truro College and Year 10 triple science students from Richard Lander.

Cornish Lithium and GeoCubed used this opportunity to explain to local students how a domestic supply of lithium will play a crucial role in the development of the UK’s battery industry that is needed to support Britain’s automotive sector and its drive towards net zero.

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The demand for lithium is expected to increase 500% by 2050 as lithium-ion batteries are used in everyday items from smart phones to laptops.

More importantly, they are used to power electric vehicles and store renewable energy, which will be vital as the UK transitions from fossil fuels.

In hosting these visits from local schools and colleges, Cornish Lithium and GeoCubed were able to provide an interactive opportunity for students to understand more about the geology beneath their feet and the history of mining in Cornwall, as well as how new mineral extraction techniques are being utilised to create a sustainable supply of raw materials.

The topics covered included what lithium is used for, its environmental and commercial importance, and the exploration process.

Core samples from hard rock and lithium-rich geothermal waters from Cornish Lithium’s projects demonstrated the different ways in which lithium can occur and why multiple technologies are required for lithium exploration.

Students were also able to see the environmentally-responsible lithium extraction techniques that are currently being trialled at the Geothermal Water Test Site and ask a variety of questions.

Jeremy Wrathall, CEO and Founder of Cornish Lithium and a Director of GeoCubed, said: "The team at United Downs was delighted to be able to host students from local schools and colleges as part of British Science Week.

"The need to establish a domestic supply of lithium, which will be a vital element in the push towards electric vehicles, represents a significant opportunity for Cornwall and will bring with it exciting career options for those working in extractive industries.

"We hope that this week’s visits will inspire the next generation to become part of the next chapter of Cornwall’s mining history and benefit from the power of science in action."