SLB to provide technical services for Vulcan’s Zero Carbon Lithium Project

Artist’s representation of Zero Carbon Lithium facility in Upper Rhine Valley, Germany (source: screenshot, Vulcan Energy corporate presentation)

Vulcan Energy has announced the signing of a binding term sheet with global energy technology company SLB as part of the development of Vulcan’s Zero Carbon Lithium project in the Upper Rhine Valley in Germany. Under the agreement, SLB will execute drilling services for least 15 production and reinjection wells which will be used for the production of both geothermal energy and lithium extracted from the brine.

The technology service are valued at USD 3.6 million in-kind to support the optimization of workflow to maximize performance.

Earlier this month, Vulcan had also announced that the company is entering the final stage of development of its lithium extraction optimization plant and is targeting mechanical completion as soon as next month. Commissioning is then targeted by September. In late 2022, Vulcan announced the successful development of an in-house lithium extraction sorbent, VULSORB^TM.

Vulcan has also made efforts to expand their business in France with a license application for the Les Cigognes region, and the signing of an agreement with Stellantis to develop new geothermal resources for the energy supply of an industrial site in Mulhouse.

SLB is uniquely equipped for drilling in the Upper Rhine Valley, having handled a majority of the projects in the region in both Germany and France. Also under SLB is GeothermEx, one of the most prolific geothermal consulting businesses today with experience in more than 50 countries.

“The Zero Carbon Lithium Project, which is gearing up to provide sustainable lithium to the European electric vehicle industry and renewable energy to local communities, is well positioned to benefit from partnering with established companies with long-standing expertise in the energy sector like SLB, and we look forward to working together as we ramp up our execution phase,” commented Vulcan Energy Resources managing director and CEO Dr Francis Wedin.

“Our decades of subsurface knowledge, drilling expertise, and cutting-edge technologies will be seamlessly integrated into this project to deliver increased brine production, aiding Vulcan in its objective of providing sustainable, decarbonised lithium,” added SLB Managing Director of Europe Rob Fox.

Source: The West Australian