Vulcan Energy Begins Pilot Production Of Lithium Hydroxide

Vulcan Energy has produced battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) for the first time at its Central Lithium Electrolysis Optimization Plant (CLEOP) in the Frankfurt-Höchst industrial park, Germany. The process involves the direct extraction of lithium by adsorption and subsequent processing into high-purity LHM. The entire manufacturing process is free of fossil fuels, resulting in a very low carbon footprint, according to the company.

Production takes place entirely in Europe: The primary product, a high-purity lithium chloride concentrate, is produced at the optimization plant in Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, from thermal water in the Upper Rhine Graben. It is then processed into LHM in Frankfurt-Höchst. This pilot production is still on a much smaller scale than the planned industrial production facilities.

CLEOP began operations in November 2024 and is primarily used to develop and validate the production process. The commercial production plant, which will also be built at Industriepark Höchst, is expected to produce about 24,000 tons of LHM per year in the first phase of the project, providing lithium for approximately 500,000 electric vehicles. Vulcan Energy is currently in the qualification process with partners such as Stellantis, Renault, and LG, who are already testing the pilot product.

Source:https://v-er.eu/de/blog/vulcan-produziert-erstes-lithiumhydroxidmonohydrat-in-batteriequalitaet/