Geothermal Will Be A Key Player in Lithium Production in Europe

With the rising importance of lithium in the electric mobility and storage revolution, the geothermal industry is set to become an important participant in sustainable lithium production in Europe. Li is special in many ways. It is the lightest metal on earth, very soft and can be cut with a knife. It has several high-value applications, from ceramics and glass to medical treatment. It is also an essential part of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems and is the basis for future clean mobility and 100% renewable energy systems.

The mining outside of Europe has a serious impact on the environment. Today, unsustainable mining leaves a substantial land and water footprint. There are large mineral water evaporation ponds in Latin America and huge open-pit mining facilities in Australia to extract lithium from rocks. The mining process often harms biodiversity and creates conflicts with local communities.

Only a few countries dominate the production market internationally. The European Union is heavily dependent on imports and the high volatility of the metal's price. This hinders the speed and scale of electrified transportation in Europe.

Geothermal lithium differs from traditional mining in that it has nearly zero environmental impacts and leaves a marginal ground or water footprint. Traditional mining relies on the evaporation of mineral water to collect precious metals, while in geothermal power plants, lithium-rich brine is pumped from the underground thermal reservoir to the surface. The heat carried by the brine is used to produce renewable energy and the brine is reinjected in the reservoir.

An independent terrestrial heat power plant can provide power generation, heating, cooling, and raw material production, such as zero-carbon production of lithium. This quadruple benefit means it is much more cost-effective to decarbonize heating and electricity whilst obtaining a lucrative new income stream through climate action.

In European countries, the competition for Li terrestrial heat optimization has begun, France and Germany dominate the market. terrestrial heat is the core of the European battery value chain. A single project in France (Soultz Sous-Forêt) has an estimated annual production capacity of 1,500 tons of Li-carbonate: 10% of the French demand. Only ten such terrestrial heat power plants can meet all of France’s current needs.

There are well-identified exploitable reserves for Li geothermal in Europe, going from Alsace in France, around Basel in Switzerland and to the upper Rhine Graben, Munich, and Frankfurt regions in Germany. There, it is possible to drill 2 to 5 kilometers deep to obtain resources, which can simultaneously produce Li, renewable electricity, and thermal energy. In Cornwall, England, there is evidence of the presence, and exploration work is in progress.

As the demand for the metal is expected to grow quickly, a growing number of countries will be looking to invest in geothermal lithium technology. But further exploration is needed to determine the resource potential throughout Europe. Research funding and drawing are the keys to win the global battery market leadership.

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