UK enters minerals race with new data centre
The UK has waded into the supply scramble for critical minerals, with the launch of a new centre for analysis and research.
The centre is the first of its kind, and will be run by the British Geological Survey in Nottingham.
The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre will provide up to date data on materials such as cobalt, lithium and graphite, which are essential to manufacturing products crucial to the green transition and national security.
This includes electric vehicle batteries, mobile phones, wind turbines and fighter jets.
The Government hopes the new development will help keep UK ahead of an increasingly competitive global market for critical minerals, providing policymakers with up-to-date data and analysis on supply, demand, and market dynamics.
Its data will then be used to develop policies aimed at developing more robust critical mineral supply chains to the UK.
With the production of some critical minerals expected to increase nearly 500 per cent by 2050, Downing Street believes is essential the UK takes steps to secure a resilient supply chain.
Work is already underway at the centre, and as its first major milestone, the CMIC has published a study into the future UK demand for, and supply security of, critical minerals required for electric vehicle batteries.
The government will publish a UK Critical Minerals Strategy later in 2022, setting out its approach to bolstering the resilience of our critical mineral supply chains.