Vulcan Energy has announced that commercial-scale production of its proprietary VULSORB lithium extraction adsorbent in Germany has begun — it marks a milestone in the delivery of Phase One Lionheart, a key geothermal energy project.
Located in the Upper Rhine Valley between Germany and France, Phase One Lionheart is designed to produce 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually, enough for approximately 500,000 electric vehicle batteries per year.
The project will also generate renewable geothermal electricity and heat for local communities and industry.
VULSORB is Vulcan Energy’s proprietary lithium extraction adsorbent technology used to selectively capture lithium from the geothermal brine.
Cris Moreno, the company’s managing director and CEO, said production of VULSORB will support not only Phase One Lionheart, but also future developments across Vulcan’s Upper Rhine Valley portfolio as well as selected technology licensing opportunities.
“This achievement further de-risks technology deployment, supply chains and project execution ahead of first commercial lithium production,” said Moreno.
He called VULSORB one of the few commercially bankable adsorption-based direct lithium extraction technologies supported by western intellectual property and a diversified manufacturing supply chain.
“This milestone reinforces Vulcan's position as a leading lithium technology company and lays the foundation for future development across the Upper Rhine Valley as we continue our 'design one, build many' approach.”
He added that the current production campaign will provide the first fill volumes required for Lionheart's lithium extraction columns ahead of project commissioning planned for the second half of 2028.