Domestic lithium - a path toward independence?
The German-Australian company Vulcan Energy Resources wants to mine and extract water containing lithium using geothermal energy. Now, for the first time, one automaker is getting involved in a lithium company: the Dutch-French group Stellantis.
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00:00 This well runs more than 3.5 kilometers deep,
00:03 allowing the warm, thermal water found there to reach the Earth's surface.
00:08 Once here, the heat is turned into electricity.
00:11 The head of Vulkan Energy explains to a new employee
00:15 how the geothermal plant in Insheim-Rheinland-Palatinate works.
00:19 Here you see the big motor, which is connected with a shaft
00:24 with the mechanical part of the pump.
00:26 That pushes the water upwards.
00:29 At the same time, they're working on a pilot project
00:34 to extract lithium out of the warm brine.
00:37 We've secured areas in which we can obtain lithium.
00:43 From these areas alone, we would be able, with 20 or 30 projects,
00:48 to extract enough lithium for all the passenger cars produced in Germany.
00:54 This white alkali metal is then bonded as lithium hydroxide.
01:00 In the Australian-German company's lab,
01:03 they're experimenting with special filters
01:05 that we can't show you due to the competition.
01:08 Starting in 2025, Vulkan Energy hopes to extract 24,000 tons of lithium
01:15 per year from thermal water, enough for around 600,000 car batteries.
01:21 Of course, the greatest potential we see at present
01:27 is for batteries for electric cars,
01:30 as well as becoming independent of other countries.
01:34 That's the specific potential for us here in Europe, I'd say.
01:41 Germany currently sources around 60% of its lithium needs
01:44 from Australian mines.
01:46 Another 20% comes from saltwater lakes in Chile.
01:51 Many in this region support becoming less reliant on imports,
01:55 but they've also had bad experiences with the geothermal plants here.
02:02 Those are the cracks.
02:03 Here's the first level, the second, and up here you can see the third.
02:09 We've pointed out that earthquakes are still occurring here,
02:12 and quite a large number.
02:14 New boreholes are to be made.
02:15 And then we expect considerably more quakes.
02:19 It seems the Insheim plant hasn't triggered more quakes since 2009.
02:24 But what if they start again?
02:27 If damages occur, they'll be smaller ones, to facades or individual homes.
02:33 They can be repaired and compensation must also be paid.
02:36 That's completely clear.
02:38 On the plus side, it's a domestic source of energy,
02:41 or a domestic raw material.
02:43 It's sustainable, the energy's renewable,
02:45 and it's a raw material sourced close to home.
02:50 Automaker Stellantis clearly believes in the success of German lithium mining
02:55 and has invested 50 million euros in Vulkan Energy.
02:58 And other car makers have signed purchase agreements
03:01 for this vital raw material used in batteries.
03:06 But Vulkan Energy still has a few hurdles to overcome.
03:14 Product development times are one challenge.
03:17 The authorization processes must be shortened significantly,
03:22 so that we can begin production as soon as possible,
03:24 producing heat for people, as well as lithium for the automobile industry.
03:31 Another aspect is gaining acceptance in the population.
03:37 It helps that this is a zero-carbon lithium project,
03:41 because the white gold is extracted from thermal water used to produce heat and power.
03:46 It's viewed as a renewable energy source.
03:49 Once cooled, the water is pumped back into the ground.