A firm behind plans to help charge the UK’s energy revolution has secured 125-job factory approval.
Weardale Lithium has been granted permission to build a County Durham plant.
Bosses say it will operate as the “UK’s largest lithium extraction facility” and add £1 billion to the North East’s economy.
Planned to produce at least 10,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate every year, they say it will “make a significant contribution” to net-zero efforts by accelerating production of electric vehicle power packs and battery energy storage systems.