The lithium race is intensifying in France with the development of “Zero Carbon Lithium” launched by the Australian startup.
The Australian start-up Vulcan Energy, at the head of the largest European lithium extraction project, intends to extend its activities to France, in the Alsace region, to respond to a “strong demandof its customers, she announced in a press release on Wednesday.
“Vulcan begins strategic expansion and development of its Zero Carbon Lithium project in France“, indicated the company, specifying that a first request for exploration in the Alsatian region “The Storks“, on 155 km2 east of the city of Haguenau, had been deposited at the end of October. It’s about a “natural extensionof its pilot exploitation project located on the German side, to date the largest in Europe, which aims to use the lithium-rich geothermal waters of the Rhine ditch for production “carbon neutral“, according to Vulcan Energy.
In Alsace, where a third of the lithium deposit in the Rhine Valley is located, “the company will soon file other permit applications“, indicates the press release. But he is stilltoo early for estimates“concerning the total operating area and the quantity of lithium production expected, comments to AFP the commercial director France, Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles.
white gold rush
Lithium, a white metal obtained by the evaporation of brine – a mixture of water and salts – is an essential component of rechargeable batteries, used in many electric vehicles whose market must take advantage of the end of thermal engines in 2035.
The extension of Vulcan Energy’s activities in France is mainly the result of a “strong demandon behalf of its customers,eight times greater than what we can offer today», stresses Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles. Renault, Volkswagen, Stellantis (entered in June in the capital of the company to the tune of 8%)… According to him, car manufacturers, driven by the surge in electric, are more “attracted by this carbon-free production approach“.
Read alsoAll about lithium, this essential metal for batteries whose demand is exploding
Energy and water-intensive, emitting greenhouse gases, lithium mining is the subject of much controversy around the world, from the huge outdoor brine pools of South America to the open-pit mines of Australia. . Last week, the French Imerys announced the opening of a lithium extraction mine in the heart of the Massif Central in 2027, the second largest in Europe.
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