UK's first deep geothermal power plant set to deliver electricity 24/7

THE UK's first deep geothermal plant generating power from heat miles underground - and producing lithium for car batteries - is switching on in Cornwall.

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Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL)'s £50 million United Downs site is set to deliver renewable electricity 24/7 from the deepest well ever drilled in the UK, at more than 5km (3 miles) deep.

It will draw up water at extremely high temperatures - more than 190C - to drive turbines that will generate power for 10,000 homes.

The water also contains high concentrations of lithium, which will be extracted for the production of zero-carbon lithium carbonate, a key material for electric car batteries and battery storage. The company said it will produce 100 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year from this year - enough to make 2,500 car batteries.

But Ryan Law, chief executive and founder of GEL, said there were plans to expand the site and two other geothermal energy projects in Cornwall currently in the planning process to produce enough lithium for 250,000 cars a year.

The first site will produce 3 megawatts (MW) of power, with the three projects generating up to 10MW of power, and Octopus Energy has signed a long-term deal to purchase at least 3MW of electricity, powering 10,000 homes.