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Vulcan delivers CO2-neutral lithium to LGES

Climate-neutral lithium from domestic mining: The contract is intended to simultaneously ensure the security of locations for the German automotive industry and sustainable battery production. Potential of the five planned plants in the Upper Rhine Graben for one million electric cars.

Why look far afield: Vulcan aims to extract naturally dissolved lithium in the Upper Rhine Graben, CO2-neutral and even with energy surplus using the geothermal process. | Photo: Vulcan
Why look far afield: Vulcan aims to extract naturally dissolved lithium in the Upper Rhine Graben, CO2-neutral and even with energy surplus using the geothermal process. | Photo: Vulcan
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Johannes Reichel

According to its own statements, the world's largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, LG Energy Solutions (LGES), has signed a purchase agreement with the German innovation company Vulcan Energy Resources for the supply of lithium hydroxide. The cooperation aims to strengthen the independence and economic power of the European battery industry, it is said. The agreement has an initial term of five years, which can be extended by another five years. The start of commercial delivery is scheduled for 2025. The Korean LGES will initially purchase 5,000 tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide in the first year and will increase to 10,000 tons per year from the second year of the contract term.

The start of the uptake is oriented towards Vulcan's completion of the production facilities. The first pilot plant is already in operation in Rhineland-Palatinate. From 2025, a total of five plants will produce around 40,000 tons of LCE of the valuable metal annually, according to the promise. This would enable an annual production volume of one million electric cars to be realized.

"Being able to supply the largest battery manufacturer for electromobility in the future is a milestone! The signal that LGES is sending to an entire industry with this is remarkable. The decarbonization of the automotive supply chain is one of the most important levers for the success of electromobility," says Horst Kreuter, CEO of Vulcan.

It has been important to maintain short transport routes to retain the climate advantage. With the targeted battery production in Europe, the lithium stays in the region and strengthens the economic area, according to the Vulcan CEO. The innovative process used by the manufacturer involves the hot thermal waters of the Upper Rhine Graben, where large amounts of lithium are naturally dissolved. Through electricity production from renewable geothermal energy, the entire process is independent of fossil fuels and also consumes very little water and space, the manufacturer further promotes. Through drilling into the deep underground, hot, lithium-rich brine is pumped to the surface from the exploration area. In the process, even a surplus of renewable energy is produced and used for the decarbonization of the power grid. In addition, the manufacturer promises a "high-quality hydroxide product in battery quality" for electric vehicles. The used brine is reinjected in a closed cycle.

Poor Balance: High Energy Use for Lithium Production

Extracting lithium from hard rock in open pit mining leads to a large-scale and dramatic landscape change, the manufacturer argues for its process. After mining, the rock must first be processed hydro- and pyrometallurgically using fossil fuels and acids before lithium hydroxide can be produced from it. This process can only be realized with a very high CO2 emission, estimated at 15 tons of CO2 per ton of lithium, with a water consumption of 170 m3, a land usage of 464 m², and costs of 5,670 euros per ton. Extracting lithium from large-scale evaporation ponds, on the other hand, removes and evaporates vast amounts of water from some of the world's driest places, the supplier further warns. This not only burdens the environment but also negatively impacts the local population. This process results in a CO2 emission of five tons per ton, with a water consumption of 469 m³, a land usage of 3,124 m², and costs of 4,857 euros per ton. The German company's method, on the other hand, would only result in a water consumption of 80 m³, a compact land usage of 6 m², and even lower costs of 4,690 euros per ton, according to the promise.

Translated automatically from German.
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