The project is a milestone of Vulcan’s Phase One Lionheart Project, one of Europe’s strategic raw materials and renewable energy initiatives.
This geothermal plant will play a central role in decarbonizing battery-grade lithium production by supplying renewable electricity directly from the geothermal resource.
The integrated geothermal-lithium extraction process positions Vulcan as a first mover in creating a carbon-neutral supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in Europe.
“We have believed in the Vulcan process and in the Company right since their foundation” stated Paolo Bertuzzi, CEO & Managing Director at Turboden.
“Over the years, we have worked closely with their team to integrate our ORC technology into their unique lithium extraction process: our ORC produces clean power by cooling down geothermal water to the right temperature to extract the lithium dissolved in the geothermal water for thousands of years.”
The renewable electricity will be generated using Turboden’s advanced Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology, converting geothermal heat from the same brine source used for lithium extraction. This closed-loop, integrated system ensures zero-emissions power as a co-product of lithium production at Vulcan’s Geothermal-Lithium Extraction Plant. The project will also deliver geothermal heat for the local district heating.
The Lionheart Project is located in the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field, bordering Germany and France, home to Europe’s largest lithium resource. The project has already received EU-level support and land acquisition approval from the City of Landau Council—key steps toward full-scale construction.
Cris Moreno, Managing Director and CEO of Vulcan Energy, stated, “The geothermal power plant is a key component of our Phase One operation. Securing the services of both Turboden and ROM Technik, who are leaders in their respective fields, will underpin the construction of the geothermal power plant. We are fully confident in their ability to execute, having delivered similar projects in Germany and globally. This is yet another milestone in our aim to deliver a local, low-cost source of sustainable lithium for the European battery supply chain, with a co-product of renewable energy production. We look forward to working with both service providers in ultimately contributing to the Landau region’s supply of climate-neutral energy.”
The project will be delivered as a turnkey EPC solution, with Turboden and ROM Technik jointly responsible for design, development, procurement, and construction.
Turboden will supply the complete ORC system, optimized for Vulcan’s geothermal-lithium integration.
ROM Technik, a German leader in technical building equipment and installation services, will coordinate the on-site construction and subcontractors. ROM brings extensive experience in the planning and execution of complex energy infrastructure projects across Germany.
