The Australian start-up Vulcan Energy, at the forefront of Europe’s largest lithium extraction project, intends to extend its activities to France, in the Alsace region, to meet the “strong demand” of its customers, as announced this Wednesday in a release. .
“Vulcan is initiating a strategic expansion and development of its Zero Carbon Lithium project in France,” the company said, specifying that a first request for exploration in the Alsatian region “Les Cigognes”, 155 km2 east of the city of Haguenau , had been presented at the end of October.
This is a “natural extension” of its pilot exploitation project located on the German side, to date the largest in Europe, which aims to use the lithium-rich geothermal waters of the Rhine ditch for the “neutral” production of carbon,” according to Vulcan Energy.
and geothermal
In Alsace, where a third of the lithium deposit in the Rhine Valley is located, “the company will soon present other applications for permits,” the press release indicates.
But it is still “too early for estimates” on the total area of operation and the amount of lithium production expected, France’s commercial director Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles told AFP.
At the same time, Vulcan Energy intends to supply renewable energy to local industrialists and municipalities through geothermal energy.
Lithium, a white metal obtained by the evaporation of brine -a mixture of water and salts- is an essential component of rechargeable batteries, used in many electric vehicles whose market will have to take advantage of the end of thermal engines in 2035.
A controversial extraction
Today, China is Europe’s main supplier of lithium.
The expansion of Vulcan Energy’s activities in France is mainly due to “strong demand” from its customers, “eight times greater than what we can offer today”, emphasizes Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles.
Renault, Volkswagen, Stellantis (entries in June in the company’s capital for the sum of 8%)… According to him, car manufacturers, driven by the rise of electric cars, are more “attracted by this decarbonized production approach”.
Energy- and water-intensive and greenhouse gas-emitting, lithium mining is the subject of much controversy around the world, from the vast open-air brine pools of South America to the open-pit mines of Australia.
Last week, the French Imerys announced the opening of a lithium extraction mine in the heart of the Massif Central in 2027, the second largest in Europe.
Source: BFM TV
