Vulcan opened the lithium extraction optimization plant (LEOP) in Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, at the end of 2023. The lithium extraction optimization plant is the first plant in Europe to produce lithium entirely in Europe. As part of the Zero Carbon Lithium project, Vulcan will extract renewable heat from the lithium-containing brine of the Upper Rhine Graben in addition to lithium. Lithium extraction is therefore climate-neutral.
With the LEOP, the world's first plant for climate-neutral lithium production on a tonne scale with simultaneous generation of renewable energy is going into operation. A first in the lithium industry. For almost three years, Vulcan successfully tested lithium extraction from the thermal water of the Upper Rhine Graben for over 10,000 hours in pilot plants in Insheim and Landau (Rhineland-Palatinate).
The results show high lithium extraction rates and the use of the tested sorbent without signs of wear over several thousand cycles. Vulcan uses Vulsorb, a sorbent developed in-house, in the process. This is more efficient than conventional products. Vulcan uses direct lithium extraction by adsorption (A-DLE) technology for lithium extraction. Already 10 % of global lithium production takes place through the use of A-DLE.
