Siemens and Vulcan Energy are collaborating to advance the Lionheart lithium and renewable energy project in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley, Europe's first fully integrated lithium and renewable energy project.
Vulcan Energy has also designated Siemens its preferred supplier of automation and digitalisation technology until 2035.
Backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), Vulcan’s integrated lithium and renewable energy project adapts existing, commercially proven technology to produce battery-quality lithium from geothermal subsurface brine in the Upper Rhine Valley, to deliver a local source of sustainable lithium for the European battery industry, while generating renewable energy and heat for local communities.
Lionheart targets production capacity of 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM), enough for around 500,000 electric vehicle batteries per annum, with a co-product of 275 GWh of renewable power and 560 GWh of heat per annum for local consumers, over an estimated 30-year project life.
Siemens will provide comprehensive automation and digitalisation capabilities through the delievery of end-to-end project solutions from its Xcelerator portfolio – including advanced instrumentation, distributed control systems, digital twin technology, industrial network, IT security and analytics that will enable integrated operations from resource extraction to final production. Siemens will also provide smart infrastructure solutions from across its buildings portfolio. The company is addionally investing in the Lionheart project.
“As both a strategic investor and a key technology partner, we are helping Vulcan Energy establish Europe’s first major sustainable source of lithium,” said Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “With our technology – from advanced automation and digitalisation to smart building solutions – we help to ramp-up production faster. This is essential to create a local lithium supply for our energy transition and a more competitive, resilient and sustainable European industry. It is a powerful example of strengthening growth and competitiveness in line with the Made for Germany initiative.”
“This partnership is an important step in unlocking future opportunities for growth, as we progress toward our goal of decarbonising Europe’s battery supply chain,” commented Cris Moreno, Vulcan’s Managing Director and CEO.