Metals & Mining, Non-Ferrous
April 24, 2026
Vulcan Energy begins construction on Frankfurt lithium plant
By Euan Sadden
Editor:
HIGHLIGHTS
Phase One targets 24,000 mt/year of output
EU designates project as critical material
Project developer Vulcan Energy has started the construction of its central lithium chemical plant at Infraserv Industrial Park Höchst in Frankfurt, part of the company's flagship Lionheart project.
In a statement released April 24, the Australia- and Germany-listed company said the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Minister-President of Hesse, Boris Rhein, the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, Mike Josef, and other key project stakeholders.
As part of Vulcan's integrated production process, lithium chloride solution produced at its extraction plant in Landau will be transported to the central facility for conversion into lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM).
Phase One of Vulcan's project targets a production capacity of 24,000 metric tons/year of LHM, alongside co-products of 275 gigawatt-hours of renewable power and 560 GWh of heat annually for local consumers, over an estimated 30-year project life.
On Oct. 13, Vulcan signed an offtake agreement with Glencore for the supply of 36,000-44,000 mt of LHM over an initial eight-year period, representing around 20% of Vulcan's planned output. Glencore joined Stellantis NV, Umicore SA and LG Energy Solution Ltd. as partners for phase one.
In March 2025, Vulcan's Lionheart Phase One was designated as one of 47 critical raw material projects across 13 EU member states under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act.
While there are currently no operating lithium mines in the EU, five processing projects are planned or underway, including Vulcan's integrated lithium project. To date, AMG Critical Minerals' battery-grade lithium hydroxide refinery in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Saxony-Anhalt, is the only facility to have begun commercial operations.
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed battery-grade lithium carbonate at $20,500/mt CIF Europe on April 23, unchanged on the day and up $500 on the week. The assessment for lithium hydroxide stood at $19,800/mt CIF Europe, also stable on the day and up $500 over the week.
