QAZAQ GREEN.  The United Downs plant in Cornwall has begun generating the UK’s first geothermal electricity, marking a milestone for the country’s renewable energy sector. The project is owned and operated by Geothermal Engineering Limited, according to British media.

The facility will supply круглосуточную базовую электроэнергию, reducing reliance on imported balancing power used alongside wind and solar generation.

The project has also launched the UK’s first commercial-scale production of sustainable lithium carbonate, a key material for electric vehicle and energy storage batteries. Initial capacity is 100 tonnes per year starting February 2026, with plans to scale output to more than 18,000 tonnes annually over the next decade — enough for around 250,000 EV batteries per year.

The production well extends over 5 kilometres underground, making it the deepest ever drilled in the UK. It accesses geothermal fluids exceeding 190°C. After electricity generation, the mineral-rich fluid is processed to extract lithium before being reinjected underground.

The company is developing two additional geothermal sites in Cornwall, aiming to add another 10 MW of baseload capacity by 2030.