Britain’s Battery Future Report

Lord Barber of Chittlehampton Excerpts

Monday 13th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

The new critical minerals strategy sets out the ambition to meet 10% of the UK’s demand from domestic production and 20% from recycling, and no more than 60% of any critical mineral from a single country. For battery supply specifically, the ambition is to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium in the UK in the next decade. The most recent round of battery innovation programme collective R&D grants have refunded recycling projects to fulfil these goals.

[Lord Barber of Chittlehampton (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for the work she is doing on this subject. I want to draw attention, in my role as chancellor of Exeter University, to three things in the south-west that she might not be aware of. Agratas, in Somerset, is building the biggest EV battery plant; Altilium in Devon is recycling lithium in a dramatic way; and in Cornwall, lithium is being mined. Putting the whole cycle together, would the Minister like to visit the south-west—or send one of her officials to visit these plants—to see what it is doing on this important theme?

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

My noble friend is absolutely right to highlight the role of the south-west. Last week, the Secretary of State announced during a visit to Agratas in Somerset a £380 million government grant, which will support the construction of one of Europe’s largest gigafactories, notably built using 100% British steel. But if I get the chance, I would very much like to take up his suggestion.