MINEX Forum

Tag: Germany mining

  • Vulcan Energy Secures First Lithium Production Licence for Lionheart Project in Germany

    Vulcan Energy Secures First Lithium Production Licence for Lionheart Project in Germany

    ASX-listed Vulcan Energy has secured a key regulatory milestone for its Lionheart project, receiving a lithium production licence in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field.

    The licence, granted in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, is the first of its kind issued in the region. Known as LiThermEx, it covers Vulcan’s Insheim geothermal production area, where renewable heat and electricity are already being generated.

    The permit has been awarded for an initial six-year period, with the company planning to extend it in line with the project’s targeted 30-year operational life.

    ⚡ Lithium meets geothermal power
    Lionheart is not a typical mining project. It blends lithium extraction with geothermal energy production, creating a hybrid model where hot underground brines are used both to generate renewable energy and extract lithium.

    The project is designed to produce around 24000 tonnes per year of lithium hydroxide monohydrate — a key battery material used in electric vehicles — while simultaneously supplying electricity and heat to local communities.

    CEO Cris Moreno described the licence as a major step forward.

    “Securing the first lithium production licence within the Lionheart project marks another important milestone,” he said, adding that the project supports Europe’s ambition to build a fully domestic lithium supply chain powered by renewable energy.

    💶 De-risked and funded
    The licence further de-risks the project, which is already fully financed and under construction following a €2.2 billion funding package completed in December.

    Vulcan expects additional production licences to be granted across the broader project area as development progresses.

    🧭 Strategic timing
    With Europe racing to secure battery raw materials and reduce dependence on external suppliers, projects like Lionheart sit at the crossroads of energy transition and resource security.

    Production is currently targeted to begin in 2028 — when lithium demand is expected to be even more electrified, quite literally.

  • Neptune Energy Confirms 43 Million Tons of Lithium Resources in Germany’s Altmark Region

    Neptune Energy Confirms 43 Million Tons of Lithium Resources in Germany’s Altmark Region

    Neptune Energy has confirmed lithium resources of 43 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in Germany’s Altmark region, positioning the area as one of the world’s largest project-based lithium deposits and a future cornerstone of Europe’s battery supply chain.

    The updated assessment, carried out with independent valuation agency Sproule ERCE, refines earlier estimates of 70 million tons of LCE announced by Neptune earlier this year. Despite the downward revision, the confirmed figure secures Altmark’s standing as a major resource, capable of supporting commercial extraction on a scale that could supply around 500,000 electric vehicles annually.

    “This new assessment underscores the great potential of our licence areas in Saxony-Anhalt. This enables us to contribute significantly to the German and European supply market for the critical raw material lithium,” said Andreas Scheck, CEO of Neptune Energy.

    Neptune has been testing direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology in the Altmark region since June, launching a pilot project in Steinitz using brine from existing gas wells and ion-exchange processes with its partner Lilac Solutions. A second pilot plant has since been commissioned to evaluate multiple DLE methods, and the company has already succeeded in producing battery-grade lithium carbonate.

    The company now holds three exploration licences in the Altmark – Mile A-L, Milde C-L, and Milde B-L – as well as the Jeetze-L production licence. Neptune plans to transition from pilot testing to commercial extraction in the coming years.

    Germany is ramping up efforts to secure raw material supply for its automotive sector, which hosts some of the world’s largest carmakers. Alongside Altmark, the country’s other key lithium projects include Zinnwald Lithium’s planned mine in the Ore Mountains and Lithium Energy’s work in the Upper Rhine Graben.