Alsace • Towards a Made-in-Europe production of low-carbon lithium with the EuGeLi project
The EuGeLi (European Geothermal Lithium Brine) project offers a local lithium supply model in Europe that is inexpensive in energy terms. The pilot project was launched in 2019 and saw its first success in 2021 by creating the first kilogramme of battery-quality lithium carbonate extracted directly from brine, using geothermal energy.
Since 2020, lithium has been included in the list of “critical metals” drawn up by the European Union. While the geological risk for lithium is low, it is susceptible to economic, geopolitical, and industrial risks. The EuGeLi (European Geothermal Lithium Brine) project offers a local lithium supply model in Europe that is inexpensive in energy terms. Eramet Ideas and IFP Énergies Nouvelles (IFPEN) have developed a method of extracting lithium directly from geothermal brine waters in Soultz-sous-Forêt, in Alsace. The pilot project was launched in January 2019 and achieved its first success in May 2021 by creating the first kilogramme of battery-quality lithium carbonate from geothermal energy in Europe.