Vulcan Energy Resources Limited has announced the launch of several projects to expand its Zero Carbon Lithium business into France, notably Alsace, a natural expansion of the Upper Rhine Valley Geothermal-Lithium Brine Field.
In a statement, Vulcan said it already has a significant presence in the French market, with lithium chemistry customers including France’s top manufacturers Renault and Peugeot-Citroen, and BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank, advising on finance. BNP Paribas’ BNPP Energy Transition Fund also invests in the Zero Carbon Lithium Project.
Vulcan is expanding its operations to the French side of the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field (URVBF), which contains both geothermal energy and lithium-rich brine and accounts for around one-third of the Upper Rhine Graben.
Vulcan has already collected and tested a bulk (10,000 litres) brine sample from the French side of the border. The sample has a high quality of 214 mg/L Li and low impurities (including Si, Mn, and Fe). Historical data and sampling from existing geothermal operations in the region show that the brine composition in Alsace is nearly identical to the brine composition across the border at Vulcan’s operations in Germany, implying that Vulcan’s sustainable lithium production process is applicable across the entire field.
“As a shareholder and customer of Vulcan, Stellantis commends Vulcan for the expansion of their Zero Carbon Lithium business into France. Investments like this support a future supply of sustainable Lithium, and contribute to the European battery manufacturing ecosystem, which aligns with our Dare Forward 2030 strategy to reach carbon net zero by 2038,” Stellantis Chief Global Purchasing and Supply Chain Officer Maxime Picat said.
Meanwhile, Gianluca De Ficchy, Alliance EVP, Purchasing and Managing Director of Alliance Purchasing Organisation at Renault Group, welcomed the expansion and the development of more Zero Carbon Lithium projects in addition to the contract Renault Group currently has inked with Vulcan in Germany.
According to Vulcan, the manufacturing of lithium is vitally essential for France’s automotive sector, as France’s President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the need to work across the supply chain.
“We have lithium resources in France, and we will develop them thanks to a new mining code; it is key for our sovereignty,” President Macron stated.
Vulcan has established a French corporation, Vulcan Energie France SAS (VEF), with offices in Haguenau, where Vulcan is building an experienced French workforce.
The region’s first lithium exploration licence, “Les Cigognes,” has been requested by VEF. The 155km2 licence is sought after and is situated east of Haguenau. The Company will soon try to gain access to more licence territories.
VEF is in talks with local businesses in Alsace to create coupled geothermal energy and lithium projects and assist businesses and local governments in decarbonising their heating systems. To produce projects that are completely aligned with local communities, which is essential to the continuous success of Vulcan’s activities, the Company is concentrating on expanding engagement with local stakeholders.
“Vulcan is aiming to increase the future supply of our sustainable lithium product in response to significant customer demand, as we leverage our extensive experience in lithium extraction from heated brines to have a materially decarbonising effect on global electric vehicle supply chains. An extension of our core operating area, the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field, expanding into France is a natural next step for Vulcan as we can apply the same expertise and technology to extract lithium sustainably. We look forward to supporting our French customers and working with local communities and companies to decarbonise their energy mix,” Vulcan Chief Commercial Officer Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles said.
