Landau's Municipal Authority - Lithium manufacturer satisfied with backing
Karlsruhe-based raw materials company Vulcan has made progress with its plans to create an integrated geothermal and lithium facility in Landau, Pfalz. Following approval from the city council for an industrial area, construction applications can now be assessed, says Vulcan. The company intends to provide climate-neutral heat for over a million people in the Upper Rhine Graben by 2030 and extract lithium as a raw material, like for electric car batteries.
Vulcan Group CEO, Cris Moreno, commented: "This decision from Landau city council is a major leap in implementing the first phase of our project." The facility in Landau will have hot industrial water and lithium-rich thermal water routed to it. The area's inhabitants will receive climate-neutral heat via a district heating system.
Lithium is supposed to be extracted from the thermal water, according to plans, before it is returned underground. Vulcan plans to create lithium chloride from this, which will later be turned into battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate in a central plant in Frankfurt-Höchst. The company, established in 2018, has already agreed on supply deals with Stellantis, Volkswagen, Renault, and LG. It has also been focusing on technical and chemical processes for some time.
Timing of the Landau City Council's Decision and the Critical Raw Materials Act
The timing of the Landau city council's decision is advantageous for Vulcan: On May 23, the European Union's Critical Raw Materials Act came into force. This legislation regulates the procurement of crucial raw materials like lithium, cobalt, or copper to decrease reliance on particular suppliers, such as China, and prioritize European projects. In addition, the German Federal Ministry of Economics plans to launch 100 extra geothermal projects by 2030.
Lately, Vulcan has also revealed that it has received EUR 40 million in funding from different supporters. Moreno, managing director, claims that this financing also accelerates the Landau project and emphasizes the area's potential to become Europe's "E-Valley."
Details about the Pfalz Project Information about Vulcan Press release on investments
