Aberdeen Minerals awarded UK Government grant for Aberdeenshire battery metals project

Aberdeen Minerals has been awarded £294,000 in grant funding by the UK Government through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF).

The ATF grant will meet 70% of the cost of a feasibility study into innovative methods to process the minerals at the company’s Arthrath Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project in Aberdeenshire. This study will investigate the potential to accelerate the production of cathode raw materials in North East Scotland for UK battery manufacturing, using more environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable approaches than the carbon-intensive, overseas supply chains on which UK industry currently relies.

Innovations to be tested include Glycine Leaching Technology, a technique patented by Draslovka, which uses glycine, a non-toxic amino acid often used as a food additive or nutritional supplement in humans and animals, as an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective way to produce critical minerals.

Fraser Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Aberdeen Minerals, commented:

“We are grateful to receive UK Government backing and endorsement of our project. The support through the Automotive Transformation Fund enables a very exciting opportunity to advance our vision in North East Scotland for environmentally and socially responsible, local processing of the critical raw materials required for a just energy transition. We look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders to deliver a unique and innovative programme.”

The ATF is delivered by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) in collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK to support large-scale industrialisation and the transition to net zero. The Aberdeen Minerals grant is part of a broader package of funding announced today by APC.

In that announcement, APC Automotive Transformation Director Julian Hetherington said:

“The Automotive Transformation Fund is supporting new projects to scope out opportunities within the wider supply chain that could lead to significant investments in manufacturing here in the UK. Gigafactories are only part of the story, as much of the supply of materials is currently imported from carbon-intensive sources. If the sector is to transition to net zero and localise production, this funding can help to show where the potential is for expanding the UK’s capability.”

The company looks forward to working with the following subcontractors to deliver the project:

• Priority Drilling UK Ltd
• Wardell Armstrong International Ltd
• Draslovka Mining Solutions
• Minviro Ltd.

Enquiries and further information:

Fraser Gardiner, CEO     Phone: 0800 047 8736    Email: moc.slarenimneedreba@ofni
 

About Aberdeen Minerals

Aberdeen Minerals is a privately owned UK company focused on the exploration and development of battery metal deposits in North East Scotland. Active since 2018, the company has secured exclusive land access and exploration agreements with a package of landowners over geologically prospective areas of Aberdeenshire. Demand is growing for battery metals, including those targeted by the company in North East Scotland, which are strategically important for long term, responsibly sourced and secure supplies of the raw materials critical to the transition to a green economy in Scotland and the UK.