Project Lionheart to extract German lithium using geothermal heat

According to the Australian raw materials company Vulcan Energy, financing is secured for Project Lionheart, which will extract geothermal heat to the surface and also recover lithium from the deep water of the Upper Rhine Graben before it is pumped back down. For 2.2 billion euros in the first project phase, plants are to be built that will thus tap into renewable energies and a valuable raw material for key technologies. Due to this combination, no public resistance is expected from the population for the project stakeholders.

Specifically, Lionheart is set to supply up to 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually, an amount that Vulcan states will alone enable the production of approximately 500,000 electric vehicles. In addition, engineers expect to generate up to 560 gigawatt-hours of renewable heat and an additional up to 275 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually.

To this end, a combined geothermal and lithium extraction plant will be built in Landau in der Pfalz, as well as a central plant for lithium processing in Frankfurt-Höchst. Further deep geothermal drilling in the region around Landau will complement the project.

The project will be funded by public funds for climate protection and the promotion of geothermal plants, as well as funds from the federal government's raw materials fund. A consortium of 13 financial partners is contributing 1.185 billion euros, including private commercial banks and the European Investment Bank with an investment of 250 million euros alone. Vulcan is covering over 528 million euros from equity.

The foundation stone for the combined plant in Landau was laid on December 5, 2025. According to current plans, the plant is expected to be commissioned approximately 2.5 years after the start of construction.

(agr)