Vulcan Energy has started full-scale construction at its Lionheart central lithium chemical plant at Infraserv Industrial Park Höchst in Frankfurt.
The facility is set to become one of Europe’s most significant hubs for battery-grade lithium production.
The Lionheart project, Vulcan’s first commercial phase, targets an annual production capacity of 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM). This is enough to supply batteries for approximately 500,000 electric vehicles every year.
Unique to Vulcan’s approach is the dual-purpose nature of the plant. Over its estimated 30-year lifespan, the facility will not only produce lithium but also generate 275 GWh of renewable power and 560 GWh of heat annually, which will be fed back into local energy markets and consumer grids.
The process utilises Vulcan’s proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, which draws naturally heated geothermal brines from the Upper Rhine Valley. This geothermal heat provides the energy required to convert lithium chloride into battery-quality material through electrolysis, eliminating the need for fossil fuels in the production process.
Vulcan CEO Cris Moreno said: “This groundbreaking event follows a similar ceremony held at our upstream lithium extraction plant in Landau late last year and highlights the progress towards our construction schedule and our 2028 commercial start of production target.”
Vulcan secured a €2.2 billion funding package in late 2025 and made its positive final investment decision on Lionheart.
The company is in receipt of all regulatory construction related approvals for its central lithium chemicals plant and the groundbreaking event now marks the transition from preparatory works to full scale construction activities in the downstream as well as upstream components of Lionheart.