Vulcan Energy Begins Commercial Production of VULSORB Lithium Extraction Material

Vulcan Energy has started commercial-scale production of VULSORB, its proprietary lithium extraction material, in Germany, advancing its flagship Lionheart project toward a planned second-half 2028 commissioning. The material supports Vulcan's adsorption-based direct lithium extraction process, which selectively removes lithium from geothermal brines. The company said the technology has achieved extraction rates up to 95% in testing and will supply initial volumes to fill Lionheart's extraction columns. Lionheart, located in the Upper Rhine Valley between Germany and France, targets 24,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually, sufficient for roughly 500,000 EV batteries, plus about 275 GWh of renewable electricity and 560 GWh of renewable heat per year over an estimated 30-year life. Vulcan said VULSORB is backed by Western intellectual property and an ex-China supply chain, a strategic advantage as Western governments seek to reduce reliance on Chinese critical minerals technology. The company plans to license the technology selectively through its VULTEC business.