Teesside and County Durham have been named in the UK’s new Critical Minerals Strategy, published on 22 November 2025. Ministers say the plan is designed to steady supply chains for everyday kit - from phones to fridges - while creating work in extraction, processing and recycling.

By 2035, the Government wants 10% of national demand produced at home and 20% met through recycling. A new pot of up to £50 million will back projects that can scale domestic production and processing across the UK.

Right now, only around 6% of the UK’s critical minerals needs are met domestically, according to the Government. The strategy sets a higher bar and attempts to turn early‑stage projects into operating plants over the next decade.

“Critical minerals are the backbone of modern life,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer, adding that the UK has been “dependent on a handful of overseas suppliers” and needs to back British production and recycling.

China currently accounts for roughly 70% of rare earth mining and close to 90% of refining, officials say. To cut exposure, the plan sets a ceiling: by 2035, no more than 60% of any one critical mineral should come from a single country.

Demand is racing ahead. Copper use is expected to almost double by 2035, while lithium demand could rise by about 1,100%. The strategy includes an ambition to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium in the UK within the next decade.

For readers in the North, the geography matters. County Durham and Teesside are flagged as areas with vital resources and project potential, sitting alongside Cornwall’s lithium, major tungsten sources, the Clydach nickel refinery in Wales, and rare earth alloy production in the UK.

Industry Minister Chris McDonald said the Government is taking the “bold action” needed to secure supplies and create jobs, pointing to a push on domestic production, more recycling and investment support as part of its Plan for Change.

Delivery will hinge on a few practical steps: the Environment Agency’s priority tracked service to speed up permits; support from Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions to build a workforce; and the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme to cut energy bills, with a consultation on eligibility due shortly.

Public finance is expected to play a role alongside private capital. In addition to the new fund, the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance will support viable schemes. In September, the National Wealth Fund committed £31 million to Cornish Lithium to move two projects towards construction and commercial drilling.

Ministers say the sector already contributes about £1.79 billion to the economy and directly supports over 50,000 jobs, with more than 50 UK projects in play. To bolster resilience, the UK will also look at stockpiling - including through defence procurement - and participate in NATO’s critical mineral stockpiling work.

Industry reaction was broadly supportive but focused on execution. Cornish Lithium boss Jamie Airnes urged the UK to “accelerate domestic capability” and said a bankable framework is essential to deliver lithium at scale. Jeff Townsend of the Critical Minerals Association called the move a “timely step” for resilience and growth.

From the midstream to the circular economy, researchers argue the UK can make ground quickly. “The focus on midstream processing and the circular economy is right,” said Professor Allan Walton of the University of Birmingham, noting new UK‑made rare earth magnets from recycled material for the first time in decades.

Wales’s Clydach nickel refinery underscored the importance of stable supplies. “Critical minerals are the foundation of modern industry and trade,” said Darren Poland of Vale Base Metals, backing efforts to strengthen domestic capacity while working with trusted global suppliers.

Northern Ireland also features. Ionic Technologies in Belfast and researchers at Queen’s University Belfast are advancing magnet recycling and rare earth separation - key to wind turbines and electric motors that many North East firms supply into.

For manufacturers and start‑ups across the North East, the opportunities are in processing, recycling and component supply for magnets and batteries. The immediate tests will be the pace of permitting, the detail of BICS energy support, and whether the £50 million fund reaches credible projects quickly.

This is a national policy with regional consequences. If the strategy turns plans into plants, Teesside and County Durham could play a larger role in the UK’s battery and magnet supply chains. As ever, delivery - not announcements - will decide the jobs, skills and orders that land here.