Claims that Cornwall is sitting on a multibillion-dollar lithium bonanza will soon be tested as newcomer Cornish Lithium has now enough money to start exploring the region.
The rise of electric vehicles is driving the world's biggest mining house, BHP , to switch gears and invest heavily in its long-suffering nickel business.
Producers of processed lithium - an essential element for batteries used in electric cars - are agreeing long-term contracts with their customers to fund the investments needed to address a looming shortfall.
Hardly a day goes by without another media report about the impending demise of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) as petroleum powered cars and trucks are replaced by uber-clean Electric Vehicles (EV).
It now expects adjusted earnings per share to come in at $5, significantly higher than the $3.75 it had forecast just three months ago and almost doubled the $2.90 it had originally projected for the year.