Vulcan Energy has successfully produced its first lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) at the Central Lithium Electrolysis Optimisation Plant (CLEOP) in Frankfurt-Höchst, meeting battery-grade purity standards, the company announced on Monday.
The production milestone follows the extraction of high-purity lithium chloride concentrate from geothermal brine at Vulcan’s Lithium Extraction Optimisation Plant (LEOP) in Landau. The concentrate is processed into LHM at the Frankfurt facility, representing an integrated domestic supply chain aimed at supporting Europe’s green mobility transition.
“Congratulations to the entire Vulcan team on the first production of battery-grade LHM at our optimisation plant,” said Cris Moreno, Vulcan Energy’s Managing Director and CEO. “This is an important milestone for Vulcan and the final step in realising the first fully domestic and integrated supply chain in Europe producing battery-grade LHM from local sources. I am very proud of the entire Vulcan operations team who have managed to produce battery-grade LHM in a very short time since the plant started production in November.”
Vulcan highlights that its production process is entirely free of fossil fuels, giving it the lowest carbon footprint among lithium suppliers globally. This environmentally friendly approach is expected to create a cost-efficient and sustainable lithium supply chain while reducing Europe’s dependence on imported raw materials.
The battery-grade lithium hydroxide will now undergo qualification tests by Vulcan’s European off-take partners, which include Stellantis, Renault, LG, and Umicore. The optimisation plant only began operations in November 2024, underscoring the rapid progress made by Vulcan in scaling its production capabilities.
As part of its Lionheart project, Vulcan aims to produce 24,000 tonnes of LHM annually in its first phase, sufficient to supply the batteries for approximately 500,000 electric vehicles. The commercial production facility, planned for Industriepark Höchst, will be situated near Vulcan’s key customers in the automotive and battery industries.
The LEOP plant in Landau, which operates at a smaller 1:50 scale, serves as a prototype for Vulcan’s industrial plant for geothermal lithium extraction. Construction of these larger facilities is expected to commence soon, positioning Vulcan as a key player in Europe’s renewable energy and lithium supply markets.