German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Vulcan’s lithium and geothermal amenities in Germany (supply: Vulcan Vitality)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Vulcan Vitality’s geothermal and lithium extraction facility in Landau, stating the significance of a home lithium provide.
German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) visited the geothermal energy and lithium extraction facility of Vulcan Vitality Sources (Vulcan) in Landau, expressing sturdy help for the geothermal business in Germany forward of the federal elections. Accompanying the Chancellor throughout the go to was Alexander Schweitzer, Prime Minister of the Rhineland-Palatinate state.
Landau is the location of Vulcan’s upstream Lithium Extraction Optimization Plant (LEOP), the place lithium chloride (LiCl) is extracted from geothermal brines. This facility was formally opened in November 2023. Lithium chloride from Landau is then despatched to Vulcan’s Central Lithium Electrolysis Optimisation Plant (CLEOP) in Frankfurt-Höchst, the place it’s transformed to lithium hydroxide.
Throughout his go to, Scholz reiterated the significance of geothermal for the long run vitality wants of Germany, describing it as a “largely unused however very ecological possibility to make sure that we offer the warmth wanted for households and companies in Germany.” The Chancellor had beforehand additionally visited geothermal initiatives in Geretsried and Potsdam.
Scholz additionally emphasised the necessity for a safe home lithium worth chain in Germany and Europe and reaffirmed his authorities’s dedication to help the enlargement of geothermal vitality, focusing on 100 new geothermal initiatives by 2030.
“The concept that we now have to import lithium from many nations distant from us retains cropping up, and we’re depending on those that promote it to us. In actual fact, in Europe, however particularly in Germany, we now have the foundations to have the ability to produce this uncooked materials provide ourselves. As well as, we now have quite a lot of untapped potential for a sustainable warmth provide, akin to deep geothermal vitality, which might provide each households and business with renewable vitality. This know-how is trendsetting. Because the German authorities, we actively help this modern method,” mentioned Scholz.
“Vulcan’s mission is to ship home and sustainable lithium to help Europe’s inexperienced vitality and mobility transition. The Chancellor’s go to reaffirms the significance of our Lionheart Challenge as probably the most superior built-in lithium and renewable vitality mission in Europe and offers us further confidence that our work aligns with key coverage priorities,” added Cris Moreno, Managing Director and CEO of Vulcan.
Supply: Vulcan Vitality and TiefeGeothermie
