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Vulcan Energy Secures €2.2 Billion for Lionheart Geothermal Lithium Project in Germany

Germany’s new Rohstofffonds makes its first investment to bolster resilient battery‑materials supply.

Overview

  • The package totals about €2.193–€2.2 billion to fully fund phase one through a mix of public, export‑credit and private financing.
  • Germany’s Rohstofffonds will invest up to €150 million, Export Finance Australia approved €120 million, and the European Investment Bank is lending €250 million.
  • Permits are in place for the Landau extraction plant and Frankfurt‑Höchst processing facility, construction has begun, and first commercial output is targeted around 2028.
  • Phase one is designed to produce roughly 24,000 tonnes per year of battery‑grade lithium hydroxide from Upper Rhine Graben geothermal brine while co‑producing renewable heat and power.
  • Offtake contracts include LG Energy Solution (31,000 tonnes over six years), Umicore (23,000 over six), Stellantis (128,000 over ten) and Glencore (36,000–44,000 over eight).