Vulcan Energy Resources (ASX: VUL), a company focused on producing lithium and renewable energy, has been granted its first lithium production permit for its Lionheart Project in Germany. The Lionheart Project is strategically located in the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field. This licence, designated LiThermEx, marks a significant step forward for the company and the region. Vulcan aims to decarbonise battery production using geothermal energy.
The lithium production license covers Vulcan’s Insheim geothermal production permit area within Lionheart. It is the first such permit to be granted in the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field and in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The project is targeting a production capacity of 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) per annum, enough for approximately 500,000 electric vehicle batteries, along with 275 GWh of renewable power and 560 GWh of renewable heat for local consumers, over an estimated 30-year project life.
Securing the LiThermEx license further de-risks the Lionheart Project, which is now fully funded and under construction following a €2.2 billion ($3.9 billion) financing executed in December 2025. The permit has been granted for an initial six years, with Vulcan planning to extend it to a minimum of 30 years, aligning with the Lionheart Project Field Development Plan. The targeted start of commercial production at Lionheart remains 2028.
Cris Moreno, Vulcan’s Managing Director and CEO, expressed gratitude to the Mining Authority in Rhineland-Palatinate for their collaboration. He stated that this permit, combined with the existing funding package, brings Vulcan closer to delivering Europe’s first fully domestic lithium supply chain, powered by geothermal energy co-production, thereby enhancing critical raw materials resilience in Germany and Europe.
