it makes sparkling water, then it s ready to be transported to our injection site. these metal igloos or giant christmas puddings, depending how hungry you are is where we start to get subterranean. here, the carbonated liquid is forced a kilometre underground, where it meets the volcanic basalt rock. basalt has a lot of the metal that is required to permanently bind the c02. so once it gets in contact with the basalt, it s gonna form stable carbonate minerals, where it will be permanently stored. so it is an ideal rock. so this is the basalt rock in its naturalform. incredibly porous for all of the carbonated water to get in and fill every nook and cranny. and this, 2a months later, it crystallises and forms calcite inside the basalt rock and now, it s pretty rock solid. so you are looking to inject a lot of water
the lithium rich rocks lie about a kilometre underground and as the water there washes over them, the mineral seeps into the brine, which is then brought back up to the surface and the lithium is extracted. the water, though, is returned back underground so the whole process can be repeated. right now, lithium comes from australia and south america, but the company thinks it could eventually supply around a third of the uk s future lithium demand. if we can produce battery grade lithium in the uk, but also produce that into batteries and then put it into electric cars, that s a much shorter supply chain which has got huge environmental benefits, as well as security of supply. but mining in the future will have to be different, to minimise and repair any environmental damage. experts say a green revolution is pointless unless the planet is protected in the process. rebecca morelle, bbc news.
of renewable energy and electric vehicles, demand for the minerals found here is soaring. anything with an electric connection, a circuit board, whatever, has tin in it. so all of these objectives and uses that we are using to get to this carbon neutral economy require tin to some degree, and to have that domestic supply on your doorstep, it makes sense to see this mine into production. above ground, too, new methods of mineral extraction are being trialled. lithium, vital for batteries, is abundant in the south west. if you want to unearth a mineral that is essential for going green, you need to do it in a way that s as green as possible and this is a test of new technology. the lithium rich rocks lie about a kilometre underground and, as the water there washes over them, the mineral seeps into the brine, which is then brought back up to the surface and the lithium is extracted. the water, though, is returned back underground so the whole process can be repeated.
lithium, vital for batteries, is abundant in the south west. if you want to unearth a mineral that is essential for going green, you need to do it in a way that s as green as possible and this is a test of new technology. the lithium rich rocks lie about a kilometre underground and, as the water there washes over them, the mineral seeps into the brine, which is then brought back up to the surface and the lithium is extracted. the water, though, is returned back underground so the whole process can be repeated. right now, lithium comes from australia and south america, but the company thinks it could eventually supply around a third of the uk s future lithium demand. if we can produce battery grade lithium in the uk, but also produce that into batteries and then put it into electric cars, that s a much shorter supply chain which has got huge environmental benefits, as well as security of supply. there are currently 31.5 million cars on the road in the uk and it would take more than 250,