Vulcan opens lithium electrolysis optimization plant for the production of sustainable lithium

Karlsruhe, November 8, 2024 - Vulcan Energie today celebrated the opening of the Central Lithium Electrolysis Optimization Plant (CLEOP) at Industriepark Höchst in Frankfurt. This plant will produce the first lithium hydroxide that has been sustainably produced in Europe from raw material to end product - an important step both for Europe's raw material independence and for the transition to green mobility. To celebrate this special occasion, numerous national and international guests from politics and industry gathered at Industriepark Höchst today, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economics of Hesse, Kaweh Mansoori, the Lord Mayor of the City of Frankfurt, Mike Josef, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of Rhineland-Palatinate, Petra Dick-Walther, and the Managing Director of the Industriepark Höchst operating company Infraserv Höchst, Dr. Joachim Kreysing.

“Whether smartphone or electric car - nothing works without lithium. Germany and Europe must reduce their dependence on Chinese lithium sources and ensure a secure supply of battery raw materials. The optimization plant will make a decisive contribution to this. It is an outstanding innovation for real sustainability. It makes us less dependent on global supply chains and is a strong signal for the future viability of our economy,” said Minister President Boris Rhein on the occasion of the launch of the Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH plant on Friday. “The optimization plant for the production of green lithium is unique - in Hesse, Germany and Europe. For the first time, Vulcan Energie is making it possible to extract battery-ready lithium hydroxide monohydrate from a European lithium resource without using fossil fuels. Green lithium made in Hesse is revolutionizing the economy.”

The CLEOP is primarily used to optimize operational processes, carry out product quality tests and train Vulcan's staff in preparation for the start of commercial production facilities. The optimization plant processes the precursor lithium chloride from the upstream lithium extraction optimization plant (LEOP) in Landau into lithium hydroxide - a raw material that is primarily required for the production of electric vehicle batteries. This process runs from the extraction to the processing of the lithium without the use of fossil fuels, making it the lithium production with the lowest CO2 footprint in the world.

“With its decision to provide funding here, the federal government has underlined the nationwide and Europe-wide relevance of the project to develop key technologies such as lithium production together with the federal states, which are indispensable for the energy and mobility transition,” said Petra Dick-Walther, State Secretary for Economic Affairs in Rhineland-Palatinate. “The use of domestic lithium deposits not only strengthens our resilience in global supply chains, but also enables us to secure the competitiveness of our economy and industry in the long term. The close cooperation between business, science and politics shows how important it is to join forces to tackle the challenges of our time and the technologies of the future.”

In the first phase of the “Lionheart” project, Vulcan will produce around 24,000 tons of sustainable lithium per year, which is sufficient for the production of around 500,000 electric vehicles. The commercial plant planned for this will also be built at Industriepark Höchst.

“We are very proud that Vulcan has chosen Industriepark Höchst as the location for the CLEOP plant. It's great that we can provide a home for companies that are implementing important future technologies in the transformation process,” said Dr. Joachim Kreysing. As one of Europe's largest research and production sites for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, Industriepark Höchst offers ideal conditions for this. Be it for the establishment or construction of production facilities. “The chemical industry and production sites like Industriepark Höchst are indispensable when it comes to overcoming the challenges of the energy and mobility transition and mastering the transformation of Germany as a business location,” said Dr. Kreysing.

“The transition to electromobility in Germany is in full swing. In order to make this transformation safe and sustainable, it is essential to establish a domestic supply chain that provides the European automotive industry with green lithium. The opening of our central lithium electrolysis optimization plant today marks an important milestone in this process. We are delighted with the high level of interest in this milestone event and the valuable support from our strategic partners and politicians,” said Cris Moreno, Managing Director and CEO of Vulcan Energy.

About Vulcan Energy

Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL, FSE:VUL) is building the world's first carbon-neutral, integrated lithium and renewable energy company to reduce CO2 emissions in battery production. Vulcan's Lionheart project, located in the Upper Rhine Graben on the border between Germany and France, represents the largest lithium and geothermal resource in Europe and is a global tier-one lithium project. The company utilizes naturally occurring geothermal energy to extract lithium from underground geothermal brines and then process it into battery-grade material. With its proprietary, leading technology VULSORB®, Vulcan is creating a local, cost-effective and sustainable source of lithium for European electric vehicle batteries.