A UK competition court has ruled that Apple abused its market power with App Store fees, paving the way for compensation that lawyers say could total up to £1.5 billion for around 36 million iPhone and iPad users.

What The Tribunal Decided

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) found that Apple held “near absolute market power” in two linked markets, i.e., app distribution on iOS devices and in-app payment processing, and had used that position to charge “excessive and unfair” commissions, typically up to 30 per cent, on paid apps and in-app purchases.

The judgment, brought by class representative Dr Rachael Kent, actually marks the first collective competition claim to succeed at trial under the UK’s relatively new regime for group actions. Following a seven-week hearing earlier this year, the tribunal concluded that Apple’s restrictions prevented rival app stores and alternative payment options on iPhones and iPads, leaving developers and consumers with no meaningful choice but to use Apple’s system.

Expert evidence submitted to the court showed that a significant share of Apple’s overcharges to developers were passed on to users through higher prices for apps, subscriptions and digital content. The tribunal agreed, finding that Apple’s business model inflated costs for millions of consumers and small businesses across the UK.

Who Is Covered And From When?

The class action covers anyone in the UK who made purchases through the UK version of the App Store on an iPhone or iPad from 1 October 2015 onwards. That includes paid-for apps, in-app purchases and subscriptions bought within apps.

In fact, law firm Hausfeld, representing Dr Kent, estimates that around 36 million people could fall within this category. Both individual consumers and businesses are included. For example, a company that paid for productivity apps on staff iPhones or made in-app purchases for services through Apple’s system could be entitled to a share of the damages, alongside ordinary consumers.

According to the legal team, users who spent regularly could be due significant sums. For example, a fitness app subscription costing £8.99 a month could yield roughly £21.58 back per year, based on the tribunal’s findings. In another example, a £19.99 in-app purchase could equate to around £4 in compensation. The exact payout will depend on how much each person or business spent and the final calculation approved by the court.

How Much Money Are We Talking?

The tribunal has indicated that aggregate damages could reach up to an eye-watering £1.5 billion, subject to a follow-up hearing on how the total will be calculated and distributed. The court also ordered that interest be added at a rate of 8 per cent per year, which could increase the total compensation for purchases made several years ago.

The collective action covers almost a decade of App Store activity, meaning that regular app users, mobile gamers, and subscribers to digital services could all be affected. With around 36 million potential claimants, even modest individual payments could add up to one of the largest consumer compensation cases ever seen in the UK.

Why The Case Was Brought

Dr Rachael Kent, a Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy and Society Education at King’s College London, launched the case in 2021 claiming that Apple’s conduct had led to “exorbitant profits” by excluding competition and forcing developers to use its own payment system on its own terms.

After the ruling, Dr Kent described the outcome as a “landmark victory, not only for App Store users, but for anyone who has ever felt powerless against a global tech giant”. She added that the judgment “confirms that Apple has been unlawfully overcharging users for more than ten years and that up to £1.5 billion should now be returned to UK consumers and businesses”.

The tribunal agreed with her argument that Apple’s 30 per cent commission was excessive and unfair. It found that a fair rate, based on comparisons with other digital platforms, would have been closer to 17.5 per cent for app distribution and 10 per cent for payment processing.

Apple’s Response And Grounds For Appeal

It’s no surprise that Apple has said it “strongly disagrees” with the ruling and will appeal. In a statement issued after the judgment, the company said the tribunal’s view of the app economy was “flawed” and failed to recognise how the App Store had “benefited businesses and consumers across the UK”.

“The App Store helps developers succeed and gives consumers a safe, trusted place to discover apps and securely make payments,” Apple said. “This ruling overlooks how the App Store helps developers succeed and gives consumers a safe, trusted place to discover apps and securely make payments. The App Store faces vigorous competition from many other platforms — often with far fewer privacy and security protections.”

Apple also argues that because commission is only charged on paid apps and in-app purchases, around 85 per cent of the apps available on the App Store pay no commission at all. It points to its Small Business Programme, which halves the rate of commission to 15 per cent for developers earning less than $1 million a year.

The tribunal, however, rejected Apple’s argument that its restrictions were necessary to guarantee user safety and privacy, ruling that the measures were neither proportionate nor justified in relation to competition law.

What Happens Next?

A further hearing, expected in November, will determine the exact approach to calculating and distributing compensation. The court will consider Apple’s application to appeal at the same time.

Any payments to consumers are, therefore, unlikely to begin until the appeals process is complete. However, Hausfeld says the judgment firmly establishes Apple’s liability, meaning that compensation will follow once the calculations and distribution process are finalised.

For now, users can check their eligibility by reviewing their “Purchase History” under their App Store account settings. Those who have paid for apps or in-app purchases through the UK storefront since October 2015 are likely to qualify.

Why The Decision Matters Beyond iPhones

The ruling comes just days after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) designated both Apple and Google as having “strategic market status” under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. This means the regulator can now impose legally binding conduct requirements on how the firms operate their app stores, browsers and payment systems.

The CMA has already indicated it could compel Apple to allow rival app stores to operate on iPhones in the UK, potentially ending its long-standing “closed system” where software can only be downloaded through its own store.

Regulators and analysts view the CAT judgment as part of a wider pattern of scrutiny of Apple’s App Store model. The company is already facing pressure in the European Union, where the Digital Markets Act has forced it to permit third-party app stores and alternative payment routes. In the United States, Apple has been the subject of multiple antitrust investigations and private lawsuits over similar issues.

What The Court Said About Market Power And Pass-Through

The tribunal found that Apple’s control over app distribution on iOS gave it “near absolute market power”, effectively allowing it to dictate terms to developers and consumers. It also accepted evidence that roughly half of Apple’s overcharge was passed on to end users, which formed the basis for estimating total damages at up to £1.5 billion.

The court compared Apple’s commission levels with other digital marketplaces, including Microsoft’s and Epic Games’ app stores, and found its rates to be significantly higher. The tribunal concluded that the excess pricing could not be justified by any additional value or innovation provided by Apple’s system.

What Users And Businesses Should Know

The case is a collective opt-out action, meaning UK-based consumers and businesses who meet the eligibility criteria will automatically be included unless they choose to opt out. This means they will not need to sign up in advance but will be required to provide proof of purchase when the compensation scheme is finalised.

The tribunal’s order of interest at 8 per cent per year also means that older purchases, especially those made between 2015 and 2020, could attract larger payouts.

Dr Kent’s legal team has said further updates will be issued once the next phase of the case concludes. For now, eligible users are advised to retain any records of App Store purchases or subscriptions made on UK-registered Apple accounts.

The Wider Industry Context

This case is being watched closely by technology firms and regulators because it sets a new benchmark for competition enforcement in the digital economy. It also highlights how the UK’s collective action framework can be used to hold major global platforms to account for past conduct that inflated prices for consumers and businesses.

While Apple maintains that its ecosystem provides unique safety and privacy benefits, the tribunal’s findings appear to have called into question the balance between those protections and fair competition. The upcoming damages hearing will now determine what that accountability looks like in financial terms for millions of UK users.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The outcome of this case may mark a defining moment in how the UK approaches digital market regulation. For example, by confirming that a global company of Apple’s scale can be held accountable through collective legal action, the tribunal has set a clear precedent that could influence future cases involving other dominant tech platforms. It also signals that the UK’s competition and consumer law framework is now capable of addressing the realities of platform-based markets, where small differences in commission rates or payment terms can affect millions of users and developers simultaneously.

For UK businesses, the implications extend well beyond potential compensation. For example, many small firms that rely on mobile apps for marketing, payments, or service delivery have long been subject to the same terms as global developers, often without the ability to negotiate or switch to alternative platforms. A successful compensation process could return meaningful sums to those businesses, but more importantly, it may drive structural changes that reduce dependency on a single distribution channel. In a more competitive marketplace, smaller developers and service providers could benefit from lower costs, broader reach, and greater freedom over how they price and deliver their products.

Also, developers and consumers are likely to watch closely for signs of how Apple responds. If the appeal fails and the compensation framework goes ahead, the company may be forced to reconsider its UK App Store model to comply with competition expectations. That could include opening its payment systems to external providers or lowering commission rates to align more closely with those found in other digital marketplaces. Such changes would not only reshape Apple’s UK operations but could also influence its strategy across Europe, where similar legal and regulatory challenges are already underway.

The ruling also gives some momentum to regulators such as the Competition and Markets Authority, which has already indicated plans to impose new obligations on major digital platforms. Having both the CAT judgment and the CMA’s new enforcement powers in play strengthens the UK’s position as one of the leading jurisdictions for digital competition oversight. It could, in time, make the country a test case for how to balance consumer protection, business innovation, and fair access in the app economy.

For consumers, the short-term focus will be on how quickly compensation arrives and what steps they must take to claim it. However, the longer-term significance appears to lie in how this case may reshape the digital ecosystem itself. Whether through greater transparency, reduced commissions, or the introduction of alternative app stores, the outcome has the potential to alter how users, developers, and major tech firms interact across the UK’s mobile marketplace.

OpenAI has released Atlas, a free macOS web browser built around ChatGPT, and it arrives with big ambitions, useful features, and some immediate security questions.

What OpenAI Has Launched, And Why It Matters

OpenAI describes Atlas as “a new web browser built with ChatGPT at its core.” The idea of Atlas is, rather than visiting a website, copying content, and pasting it into a chatbot, the chatbot now lives inside the browser and can see the page you are on. OpenAI has framed it as a chance to “rethink what it means to use the web.”

Just On macOS (Free) For Now

Atlas is available now worldwide on macOS for Free, Plus, Pro, and Go users, with Windows, iOS, and Android versions “coming soon.” Business users can enable Atlas in beta, and Agent mode is available in preview for Plus, Pro, and Business tiers. OpenAI also published release notes and a download link, underlining that Atlas can import bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history from existing browsers.

How It Works In Practice

Atlas opens directly to ChatGPT rather than a traditional home page. Users can type a question or a URL, then work in a split view where ChatGPT summarises, compares, or explains the page they are on. An optional sidebar, “Ask ChatGPT,” follows the user as they browse, designed to remove the copy-paste friction that has characterised earlier chatbot use. OpenAI states that the browser can “understand what you’re trying to do, and complete tasks for you, all without leaving the page.”

Two features really stand out. The first is “browser memories,” which is an opt-in setting that allows ChatGPT to remember context from sites a user visits so it can bring that context back when needed. The second is “Agent mode,” which enables ChatGPT to act on the user’s behalf in the browser, carrying out tasks such as research, form-filling, or making bookings. OpenAI is keen to emphasise the benefit of user control, noting that browser memories can be viewed, archived, or deleted, that browsing content is not used to train models by default, and that visibility for specific sites can be turned off directly from the address bar.

Availability And Controls

At launch, Atlas includes parental controls that carry over from ChatGPT, with options to disable memories or Agent mode entirely. OpenAI says Agent mode can’t run code in the browser, download files, or install extensions, and it pauses on sensitive sites such as banks. Users can also run the agent in logged-out mode to limit access to private data.

Where Atlas Fits In A Crowded Browser Market

This move from OpenAI appears to be a direct challenge to existing players. For example, on desktop, Chrome holds about 73.65 percent of the global browser market, followed by Edge on 10.43 percent and Safari on 5.73 percent (StatCounter, September 2025). For Atlas to gain traction, it must prove both trustworthy and genuinely useful in daily workflows.

Vague Wording? What “AI Browser” Really Means

It seems that “AI browser” is quickly becoming shorthand for a set of common features, i.e., a chatbot that can read what’s on the screen, answer questions about it, and act within context. In Atlas, this takes the form of ChatGPT as a ride-along assistant that can process and recall on-page information.

Microsoft is pursuing the same idea. For example, in its Edge browser, Copilot Mode provides similar capabilities, opening a chat window that can summarise and compare data across multiple tabs. The company has also introduced “Actions,” which can fill in forms or book hotels, and “Journeys,” which group your tab history into ongoing projects.

The Indirect Prompt-Injection Issue

It seems that the most significant technical challenge currently facing Atlas, however, may not be unique to OpenAI. For example, Brave’s security team recently warned that indirect prompt injection is “a systemic challenge facing the entire category of AI-powered browsers.”

In simple terms, prompt injection occurs when a malicious webpage hides instructions that an AI assistant mistakenly interprets as user commands. This could cause the AI to perform unintended actions, such as fetching data from other tabs or leaking information from logged-in accounts.

Brave’s research revealed that similar vulnerabilities have been found in other AI browsers, including Perplexity’s Comet and Fellou, where attackers could hide commands inside website text or even faint image overlays. These instructions can bypass normal safeguards by being passed to the model as part of the page context.

In fact, OpenAI’s own documentation acknowledges this threat. For example, Dane Stuckey, OpenAI’s Chief Information Security Officer, described prompt injection as “a frontier, unsolved security problem” and said the company has implemented overlapping guardrails, detection systems, and model training updates to reduce risk. “Our adversaries will spend significant time and resources to find ways to make ChatGPT agent fall for these attacks,” he wrote, adding that users should run agents in logged-out mode when working on sensitive tasks.

Early Testing And What Researchers Are Seeing

Early demonstrations have already shown why this remains an open concern. For example, independent researchers have reportedly shared examples where Atlas responded to hidden instructions embedded within ordinary documents, producing unexpected outputs instead of the requested summaries. While these examples did not involve harmful actions, they highlight how easily indirect prompt injections can influence AI behaviour when content is treated as part of a legitimate task.

AI security researcher Johann Rehberger, who has documented several prompt-injection attacks across AI platforms, described the risk as affecting “confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.” He noted that while OpenAI has built sensible safeguards, “carefully crafted content on websites can still trick ChatGPT Atlas into responding with attacker-controlled text or invoking tools to take actions.”

Brave’s recent post about this security issue also warned that agentic browsers can bypass traditional web protections such as the same-origin policy because they act using the user’s authenticated privileges. For example, a simple instruction hidden in a web page could, in theory, make the assistant act across sites, including banks or corporate systems, if guardrails fail.

How OpenAI Says It Has Balanced Power And Control

OpenAI has listed several design choices intended to reduce these risks. For example, users can clear specific page visibility, delete all browsing history, or use incognito windows that temporarily log ChatGPT out. Browser memories are private to the user’s ChatGPT account, are off by default, and can be managed directly in settings.

If a user opts to allow training on browsing content, pages that block GPTBot remain excluded. Agent mode cannot install extensions, access the file system, or execute code, and it pauses on sensitive sites where actions might expose personal data.

OpenAI says its approach is to combine technical safeguards with transparency. Users are shown what the agent is doing step by step, and actions can be stopped mid-flow.

For example, someone planning a dinner party can ask Atlas to find a grocery store, add ingredients to a basket, and place the order, watching each action unfold. Also, a student could use Atlas to ask real-time questions about lecture slides, while a business user can ask it to summarise competitor data or past documents without switching tabs.

Two Days Later, Microsoft Reframes Edge As An “AI Browser”

Just two days after OpenAI’s announcement, Microsoft expanded its own browser to include nearly identical functionality. On 23 October, the company unveiled an upgraded Copilot Mode for Edge, now officially described as “an AI browser.”

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, wrote in a company blog post: “Copilot Mode in Edge is evolving into an AI browser that is your dynamic, intelligent companion.” The update introduces new features called “Actions,” which allow Copilot to fill out forms and make bookings, and “Journeys,” which group browsing sessions around specific goals.

Although Microsoft’s project was likely in development long before Atlas was revealed, the timing and similarity are notable. Both browsers now integrate AI deeply into browsing, both rely on contextual understanding to assist users, and both frame the assistant as a companion that can interpret what is on screen.

Independent reviewers have noted that the new Copilot Mode in Edge is visually and functionally close to Atlas. The layout differs slightly, but the underlying premise is the same: a built-in AI that reads, reasons, and acts on content as you browse. Microsoft says all new features require user consent before accessing tab content or history.

Challenges And Criticisms

While Atlas has been praised for its clean design and intelligent functionality, some experts have already raised questions about privacy, data control, and long-term security. OpenAI insists that browser memories are fully optional and off by default, but data protection specialists warn that even anonymised context retention can reveal behavioural patterns over time.

Also, some commentators have warned that Atlas, like other AI-driven browsers, could raise new privacy and security concerns if not carefully managed. For example, cybersecurity specialists have noted that the browser’s ability to access bookmarks, saved passwords, and full browsing histories could make the trade-off between convenience and data protection more critical than ever. They have also cautioned that combining web activity with chatbot interactions could increase risks such as profiling, targeted phishing, or unintended exposure of sensitive information.

It should also be noted here that early feedback from users has been mixed. For example, some testers have praised Atlas for its clear presentation of information and accurate sourcing, while others have reported slower performance and questioned how effectively Agent mode will operate once the browser is adopted at scale.

Cybersecurity researchers point out that even if Atlas performs safely under current controls, new prompt-injection techniques are constantly being developed. Brave’s researchers have already hinted that further vulnerabilities are likely to surface as more companies introduce AI-driven browsing.

The balance between innovation and oversight, and between convenience and confidentiality could, therefore, be the central test for Atlas and the new wave of AI browsers it represents.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

OpenAI’s launch of Atlas could be one of the most ambitious steps yet in merging web browsing with conversational AI. It shows how quickly the boundary between search, productivity, and automation is dissolving, with the browser itself becoming a personal assistant rather than a static window to the internet. Yet it also exposes how far the technology still has to go before it can be trusted to act independently in real-world settings.

For users, the attraction is that Atlas promises a streamlined way to find information, take action, and move between tasks without switching tabs or tools. For OpenAI, it provides a direct platform for embedding ChatGPT more deeply into everyday digital life. However, the same integration that makes Atlas powerful also increases the surface area for risk. Allowing an AI agent to see and act within live browsing sessions inevitably raises questions about data access, authentication, and the potential for malicious manipulation through prompt injection or hidden instructions.

UK businesses, in particular, may need to approach Atlas with a mix of curiosity and caution. For example, the prospect of an intelligent browser that can summarise research, handle admin tasks, or automate data collection could boost productivity and streamline workflows. However, organisations will have to consider how it interacts with internal systems, how data is stored and transmitted, and whether its automation features comply with corporate security and privacy policies. For sectors such as finance, healthcare, and education, these considerations will be especially pressing, as even minor missteps could expose sensitive information or breach compliance rules.

For other stakeholders, including regulators and cybersecurity specialists, Atlas may represent an early glimpse of what “agentic” browsing could actually mean for the wider internet. It challenges long-held assumptions about user control, privacy, and accountability. If AI browsers become mainstream, the focus of online safety will need to expand from defending websites against users to defending users against their own automated agents.

In that sense, Atlas is less a final product than a live experiment in how people and machines might share control over digital tasks. Its success will depend not just on speed or convenience but on whether OpenAI can earn sustained trust from users, businesses, and regulators alike. For now, Atlas looks like being both a milestone in browser innovation and a reminder that every step towards automation must also bring new standards of responsibility, transparency, and security.

Attackers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to build record-breaking DDoS botnets, according to new data from internet security firm Qrator Labs.

The company reports that one botnet it tracked contained 5.76 million infected devices, a 25-fold increase on last year’s largest network. Qrator’s CTO, Andrey Leskin, said AI now lets attackers “find and capture devices much faster and more efficiently,” driving unprecedented growth.

Brazil has overtaken Russia and the US as the biggest source of application-layer DDoS attacks, accounting for 19 per cent of malicious traffic, while Vietnam’s share has surged as unsecured devices multiply across developing regions. Fintech and e-commerce remain the top targets, with peak attacks reaching 1.15 Tbps.

Experts warn that AI tools are lowering the barriers to entry for cybercriminals, enabling large-scale automated attacks. Businesses are urged to use layered DDoS protection, keep connected devices updated, and monitor for unusual network activity to defend against this new AI-driven threat.

Cornish Lithium has produced the UK’s first samples of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, marking a major step towards a domestic, low-carbon supply chain for electric vehicles and clean energy storage.

A Local Company with Global Ambitions

Cornish Lithium is a Penryn-based mining and technology company founded in 2016 by former investment banker and mining engineer Jeremy Wrathall. The company’s goal is to produce lithium sustainably within the UK, thereby reducing reliance on imports and supporting the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy.

The business operates across two key areas of lithium extraction, i.e., hard rock and geothermal brines. Its projects are centred in Cornwall, where it is exploring and developing lithium resources from granite and hot spring waters deep underground. Through a combination of traditional mining expertise and modern processing technology, Cornish Lithium aims to make Cornwall a cornerstone of Britain’s green industrial future.

The Factory

At the heart of the latest breakthrough is the company’s Trelavour Hard Rock Project near St Dennis, Cornwall. Built on a repurposed china clay pit, the Trelavour Demonstration Plant began operating in 2024 and represents the UK’s first low-emission lithium hydroxide production facility. The site seems to embody sustainable redevelopment in practice in that it’s transforming a brownfield location once central to the region’s clay industry into a clean-tech hub for critical minerals.

Hydrometallurgical Processing

The plant uses hydrometallurgical processing to refine lithium-bearing mica from Cornish granite into high-purity lithium hydroxide. It also acts as a testing ground for new refining technologies that could later be scaled up for full commercial production. According to the company, commercial operations are expected to begin in 2027 with a planned output of around 10,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide per year.

Why This Discovery Matters

Cornish Lithium’s discovery lies not only in the presence of lithium-bearing granite but in the ability to extract and refine it locally using cleaner methods. For example, the company estimates that its operations can achieve at least a 40 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with typical international lithium production, where ores are mined in Australia, shipped to China for refining, and then exported to Europe.

As CEO Jeremy Wrathall explained when the first samples were announced, “This achievement demonstrates that Cornwall can once again play a vital role in supporting Britain’s industrial future — this time through the production of sustainable, battery-grade lithium.”

Cornwall’s geology has long been known to contain lithium, but until recently it was not considered economically viable to extract. However, it seems that advances in processing technology, along with rising global demand and the UK’s push for net zero, have changed that outlook. In essence, the region’s combination of mineral-rich granite and geothermal resources makes it uniquely positioned to supply both hard-rock and brine-based lithium sustainably.

What’s Being Produced And Who For?

The Trelavour Demonstration Plant produces lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM), which is a high-purity chemical essential for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems. Battery-grade LHM is particularly suited to high-nickel cathodes, which are used by leading EV manufacturers to deliver higher energy density and longer range.

Cornish Lithium’s immediate aim is to refine enough material to demonstrate commercial viability and secure supply agreements with UK gigafactories and automotive manufacturers. The longer-term goal, combining both hard rock and geothermal extraction, is to produce up to 25,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent annually by 2030.

Currently, the UK imports almost all of its battery-grade lithium, leaving the country’s growing EV and battery industries reliant on international supply chains dominated by China. Local production from Cornwall would allow UK manufacturers to shorten those supply lines, cut emissions, and improve energy security.

Investment and Strategic Importance

In September 2025, Cornish Lithium secured up to £35 million in new funding, including £31 million from the UK’s National Wealth Fund and additional investment from TechMet, a critical minerals investor partly backed by the US government. This funding is earmarked to expand operations at Trelavour and advance the company’s geothermal projects.

The investment also forms part of the UK government’s broader strategy to establish a secure domestic supply chain for EV batteries. The Automotive Transformation Fund and other initiatives aim to ensure that gigafactories planned in Sunderland, Coventry, and Somerset have access to local raw materials, which is likely to be a key factor in their long-term sustainability and cost competitiveness.

Carbon Savings and Sustainability

Even though the idea of mining doesn’t seem that conducive to conserving the environment and sustainability, the sustainability benefits of local lithium production actually extend well beyond emissions. For example, processing and refining lithium within Cornwall eliminates the need for transcontinental shipping and significantly lowers the embodied carbon in each tonne of lithium hydroxide produced.

Local production also improves traceability, which is a growing requirement for European battery makers under emerging “battery passport” rules that demand transparency on the source and environmental impact of materials.

Also, by situating the plant on a disused industrial site, Cornish Lithium has actually revived part of Cornwall’s long-mining heritage in a modern, environmentally responsible way. The company estimates its projects could create more than 300 skilled jobs, contributing to regional regeneration and helping to retain talent in the South West.

The project’s reliance on UK and European technology partnerships also supports intellectual property development and knowledge transfer. By bringing advanced refining processes, such as those licensed from Australia’s Lepidico, onto British soil, the company is helping to develop local expertise in hydrometallurgy and battery chemistry.

Competitors and the Industry

Cornish Lithium’s milestone actually places it at the forefront of a growing UK lithium industry. However, it is not alone. For example, Imerys British Lithium, also based near St Austell, is developing a separate hard-rock project and has already produced pilot-scale lithium carbonate from mica-rich granite. The company plans to scale up to around 20,000 tonnes per year, potentially making it another major domestic supplier by the late 2020s.

Further north, Green Lithium is constructing a large lithium refinery at Teesside that will process imported spodumene concentrate into lithium hydroxide, complementing the raw material supply coming from Cornwall. Meanwhile, Northern Lithium is exploring brine-based extraction in the North East using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology.

Together, these projects signal the emergence of a full UK lithium supply chain, encompassing extraction, processing, and eventual recycling, which is a development that could make the UK less dependent on imported critical minerals.

Challenges and Criticisms

Despite its progress, Cornish Lithium faces some significant hurdles. For example, Cornwall’s lithium grades are lower than those of high-grade spodumene ores mined in Australia, which could affect production costs and competitiveness. Energy-intensive refining processes also present challenges in a country with some of Europe’s highest industrial electricity prices.

The company must also navigate permitting and community engagement. For example, although its operations are based on brownfield sites, local stakeholders have raised questions about water use, noise, and the environmental management of tailings and waste.

Another challenge lies in the volatility of global lithium prices. As the Financial Times has reported, financing large-scale lithium projects can be difficult without government guarantees or long-term offtake agreements, particularly when prices fall from recent highs.

There are also broader market questions. The UK’s gigafactory sector remains nascent, and if domestic battery production fails to grow as quickly as expected, local lithium producers could struggle to find nearby buyers.

That said, for now, the company’s combination of local sourcing, low-emission processing, and government-backed funding positions it as one of the most advanced and strategically significant lithium ventures in Europe.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Cornish Lithium’s progress could be a real turning point in how the UK approaches its clean energy supply chain. By combining extraction, processing, and refining within one region, the company has shown that it is possible to produce critical battery materials closer to where they are used, with substantially lower emissions than imported alternatives. The immediate impact is industrial rather than symbolic, since it demonstrates that local lithium production is not just feasible but commercially and environmentally credible.

For UK businesses, particularly those in automotive manufacturing and energy storage, this development could prove decisive. For example, a domestic source of battery-grade lithium would reduce dependence on long global supply chains, stabilise costs, and make it easier to meet carbon reporting and traceability standards that are becoming central to procurement. It could also help strengthen the competitiveness of UK gigafactories, ensuring that jobs and intellectual property linked to electrification remain within the country. For other stakeholders, including local communities and policymakers, the benefits extend to regional regeneration, skilled employment, and the revival of industrial activity in an area that once relied on mining.

At the same time, it is clear that success will depend on more than geology. Cornish Lithium and its peers must scale up efficiently, manage environmental impacts transparently, and align with downstream demand from battery producers. The challenge for government and industry alike will be to create a framework that rewards sustainable extraction and encourages private investment without distorting the market.

If those conditions are met, Cornwall’s emerging lithium industry could form the foundation of a genuinely circular, low-carbon supply chain for the UK’s transition to clean transport and renewable power. In that sense, the real significance of the Trelavour plant lies not only in the metal it produces but in the model it represents, i.e., a local, collaborative, and technologically advanced approach to sustainable resource development.

If you want to collaborate with colleagues in your ChatGPT projects, this videos shows you how. Additionally, there are some upgrades to the memory facility that you might want to know about.

[Note – To Watch This Video without glitches/interruptions, It may be best to download it first]

Stand out in conversations with custom stickers that reflect your brand or personality, or to highlight specific products or features. Here’s how to create and use stickers in WhatsApp:

To Create a Sticker:

– Open WhatsApp and go to any chat.
– Tap the emoji icon > Sticker > Create.
– Select an image from your gallery or take a new photo.
– Crop and edit the image to fit the sticker format.
– Add text or drawings if desired.
– Save the sticker (and create a sticker album for related stickers).

Use Stickers in Messages:

– Open a chat and tap the emoji icon.
– Select the sticker icon and choose your custom sticker.
– Send the sticker to add a personal touch to your messages.

Benefits:

– Personalise Communication: Custom stickers help build rapport with clients or colleagues.
– Add a Professional Touch: Brand-specific stickers can enhance your business identity.
– Enhance Engagement: Stickers can make messages more engaging and fun.
– Use custom stickers to add a creative and personalised touch to your business communications on WhatsApp!