UK Unveils 2035 Critical Minerals Plan With 60% Supply Cap and £50m Fund
Ministers cast the move as a response to China's dominance of rare‑earth supply chains.
Overview
- Britain sets targets to meet 10% of demand from UK production and 20% from recycling by 2035, up from about 6% sourced domestically today.
- The plan imposes a ceiling so no more than 60% of any one mineral comes from a single country by 2035.
- Up to £50 million in new funding will back early projects, including lithium and tungsten sites in Cornwall.
- The strategy prioritizes lithium, nickel, tungsten and rare earths, with a goal of at least 50,000 tonnes of UK lithium by 2035.
- Officials forecast copper use nearly doubling and lithium demand surging by 1,100% by 2035 as EVs and data centres expand.