BGS to lead new £2.5 million, NERC-funded research project to better understand the lifecycle of lithium
27/11/2020 By BGS Press
Scientists at the British Geological Survey (BGS) will lead a new £2.5m NERC-funded research project designed to increase our understanding of global lithium resources to support a low carbon future.
The primary aim of the Lithium for Future Technology (LiFT) project is to improve the understanding of geological cycles of lithium, which is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries.
Decarbonisation of energy and transport is one of the major challenges facing the global economy. Recently, this has been emphasised by the UK government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, which has brought the transition to electric vehicles forward, by ten years, to 2030 by ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans.
Recent lithium forecast scenarios suggest that over five times the current global lithium mine production will be required by 2030, solely to support growth in the electric vehicle sector. This extraordinary growth means that recycling cannot meet the growing lithium demand, and extraction from primary resources will be required.
The LiFT project aims to increase our understanding of the geological processes that concentrate lithium into a range of different types of mineral deposit, from which lithium can be mined in both an economically feasible and environmentally responsible manner. The project will also investigate the environmental impacts of a range of different deposit mining scenarios in order to provide quantitative information for planning and policy decision making.

Evaporation pond with concentrated lithium-bearing brine, Salar de Atacama, Chile, which is part of the ‘lithium triangle’ of South America. This photo shows the close geographical connection between the potential lithium-bearing source rocks of the mountains at the edge of the basin, in the distance, and the salt flats and brines at its centre. Image: BGS © UKRI (Andy Butcher)
LiFT will bring together academic partners at the Natural History Museum and the universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, and Southampton, together with a wide range of minerals industry and governmental partners in the UK and overseas.
I’m delighted that we have been awarded a NERC Highlight Topic grant to investigate the processes by which lithium is mobilised and enriched in the Earth’s crust. Lithium is a critical raw material and is essential for the batteries that will drive the electric vehicle revolution, so it’s vital for us to understand our natural resources.
Dr Kathryn Goodenough, BGS Principal Geologist
The project will investigate the ‘life cycle’ of lithium in the Earth’s crust. It is understood that lithium is brought to the Earth’s surface by volcanic eruptions above subduction zones, and that weathering of the volcanic rocks can release lithium into rivers and lakes. The lithium is then laid down in muds and salt deposits that accumulate in these lakes. Over geological time, those deposits may be buried and some will melt to form lithium-rich magmas. The LiFT project will study the processes by which lithium moves through the crust and is concentrated into minable mineral deposits, which will be important for future exploration.
Related news

BGS scientists work with United Nations to update hazard profiles
21/08/2025
From tsunamis to sinkholes, the profiles provide a standardised, internationally agreed definition of hazards to support disaster risk management worldwide.

Scientists uncover secrets of Stonehenge’s mysterious cattle
20/08/2025
Cutting-edge analysis of a Neolithic cow tooth dating back to the construction of the famous landmark provides evidence of Welsh origins.

New study reveals geological facility’s value to UK economy
19/08/2025
For the first time, an economic valuation report has brought into focus the scale of the National Geological Repository’s impact on major infrastructure projects.

Is your region susceptible? Britain’s geohazard hotspots revealed
14/08/2025
From sinkholes to radon: new maps highlight the most geologically at-risk regions

New platform highlights geothermal potential across the UK
11/08/2025
A new government-funded geothermal initiative, which includes an interactive map, has launched to help decision makers assess the geothermal potential across the UK.

Oasis revealed as Scottish capital’s ‘most seismic’ concert
07/08/2025
Twenty years of evidence from earthquake monitoring proves the Britpop legends are the most ‘ground shaking’ musical act to perform at Murrayfield Stadium, with the chance to secure their position at the top of the charts this weekend.

IODP³-NSF Expedition 501: successful offshore operations launches onshore phase
06/08/2025
Scientists have managed to take water and sediment samples from beneath the ocean on the New England Shelf for the first time, with the intention of understanding this offshore aquifer system.

New tool helps identify coal mine gas risk for housing developments in Scotland
05/08/2025
Scientists have co-developed a new tool for North Lanarkshire Council to help screen coal mine gas emissions prior to the development of new houses and buildings.

Kamchatka earthquake highlights the advances in tsunami early warning systems
31/07/2025
The response to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia has emphasised how far scientific understanding of tsunamis has come over the last two decades, and the improved mitigation measures that are now in place.

New journal article reveals snapshot of forever chemicals in shallow English soils
31/07/2025
Data on the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations in English soils has been released.

Zambia’s first critical minerals guide supports the country’s potential in global clean energy transition
18/07/2025
A new guide to Zambia’s critical minerals highlights the country’s current and potential critical mineral resources, including cobalt and lithium.

Funding awarded to UK/Canadian critical mineral research projects
08/07/2025
BGS is part of a groundbreaking science partnership aiming to improve critical minerals mining and supply chains.