Germany – Vulcan Energy Resources has started production of the first Lithium Chloride (LiCl) product at its Lithium Extraction Optimisation Plant (LEOP) in Landau, Germany. This €40m investment by Vulcan is delivering the first domestically produced lithium product produced in Europe for Europe.
The Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field in Europe contains Europe’s largest lithium resource and is also a source of geothermal renewable heat. This will allow Vulcan to produce its lithium using geothermal renewable energy, decarbonising the carbon footprint of lithium production for Battery Electric Vehicles.
Critical Raw Materials Act
The energy transition will give rise to a substantial increase in global demand for critical raw materials like lithium for the production of batteries. To secure access to these materials the European Commission has introduced the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). This Regulation sets clear benchmarks for domestic capacities along the strategic raw material supply chain and to diversify EU supply by 2030:
- At least 10% of the EU’s annual consumption for extraction,
- At least 40% of the EU’s annual consumption for processing,
- At least 15% of the EU’s annual consumption for recycling,
- Not more than 65% of the Union’s annual consumption of each strategic raw material at any relevant stage of processing from a single third country.
Vulcan is contributing to meet the CRMA 2030 targets. Once Phase One commercial production commences, it is estimated that Vulcan’s integrated renewable energy and ZERO CARBON LITHIUM™ business will produce enough lithium for approximately 500,000 EVs.
Next steps
The LiCl produced by LEOP will be converted into abattery-grade lithium chemical in Vulcan’s downstream optimisation plant. The LiCl product (40% weight solution) produced from LEOP will be transported to Höchst Industrial Park Frankfurt, where Vulcan is currently completing its CLEOP which will convert the LiCl into battery grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate (LHM).
Once CLEOP is in operation, which is expected in mid-2024, Vulcan will have produced the first fully
integrated lithium battery chemicals in Europe, including conversion to a battery-grade chemical, with the co-production of renewable energy and heat.
