The UK government has launched a comprehensive Critical Minerals Strategy aimed at cutting reliance on overseas suppliers of essential materials used in smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and household electronics. The plan sets a target to produce 10% of the country’s critical mineral needs domestically and recover 20% through recycling by 2035, supported by up to £50 million in funding.
Announcing the strategy, ministers emphasised the importance of securing reliable access to minerals such as lithium, copper, nickel, rare earths, and tungsten. Demand for lithium alone is projected to rise by 1,100% by 2035, while copper demand is expected to nearly double. The government intends to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium by 2035, equivalent to more than the weight of the Titanic, leveraging the UK’s geological resources, including Europe’s largest lithium deposit in Cornwall, major tungsten reserves, a large nickel refinery in Swansea, and the only Western producer of rare earth alloys.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the strategy is crucial for national security and economic growth. “Critical minerals are the backbone of modern life — powering everything from smartphones and fighter jets to electric vehicles and wind turbines. Britain has been dependent on a handful of overseas suppliers for too long. We are taking decisive action to boost domestic production, ramp up recycling, and back British businesses so we can compete globally and drive down costs at home,” he said.
The strategy also aims to limit reliance on any single country for more than 60% of supply by the mid-2030s, a response to China’s dominance in global mining and refining, where it controls up to 90% of processing capacity.
Industry Minister Chris McDonald said building secure supply chains is essential for protecting national security and supporting high-growth sectors outlined in the government’s Plan for Change. The strategy includes funding to help UK businesses scale extraction, refining, processing, and recycling, with existing public finance schemes already investing over £165 million in critical mineral firms. This includes £31 million for Cornish Lithium to advance two major extraction projects.
Additional measures include electricity cost reductions for mineral producers under the forthcoming British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, fast-tracking environmental permits for innovative projects, and stockpiling minerals for defence applications in coordination with NATO. The strategy also strengthens international partnerships to diversify supply chains and leverages UK expertise in finance, academia, mining engineering, and clean technology.
Industry figures welcomed the strategy. Jamie Airnes, CEO of Cornish Lithium, described it as “a clear strategic framework” for domestic production, while Jeff Townsend of the Critical Minerals Association said it acknowledges that modern industries rely on a secure supply of materials. Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American Crop Nutrients, said the plan creates an “opportunity to drive investment and growth through a modern mining industry.”
Critical minerals currently contribute £1.79 billion to the UK economy and support more than 50,000 jobs. More than 50 projects are underway across the UK, from Teesside and the North East to Devon, Cornwall, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where pioneering recycling technologies are being developed. Ministers confirmed that the strategy will be integrated into the Modern Industrial Strategy to ensure long-term competitiveness for advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries.
