Scientists in Germany have started developing a mobile extraction plant designed to recover lithium from geothermal brines beneath the North German Basin, in a bid to support Europe’s growing EV industry with locally sourced materials.

The project is carried out by researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IE (Fraunhofer IEG) and several other industry and academic partners.

The work is part of the RoLiXX project (Rotliegend as a Lithium Resource in the North German Basin – from Exploration to Extraction), which is a USD 3.2 million (EUR 2.8 million) initiative supported by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

It aims to build a mobile extraction system capable of recovering lithium from geothermal brines under the North German Basin.

The 300-million-year-old basin is believed to hold one of Europe’s largest lithium resources. Estimates suggest that the underground reserves could contain up to 1.27 trillion tons of lithium equivalent.

A mobile lithium plant

The research focuses on the lithium-rich geothermal waters found several miles under the surface of the geological formations known as the Rotliegend. These 300-million-year-old sandstone and volcanic rock layers are considered highly promising for lithium extraction.

Tilman Cremer, Fraunhofer IEF project manager, shared that the initiative aims to show that critical raw materials, like lithium, can be sourced locally. “Europe needs its own sources of strategic raw materials,” Cremer stated. “By developing lithium resources in the North German Basin, Germany could in the future play a central role in covering both German and European demand.”

To better understand how lithium accumulates underground and how it can safely be recovered, the German team intends to analyze samples and drilling data from the Dutch border to Poland.

Their project aims to turn geothermal plants into sources of lithium. The scientists hope to recover lithium directly from underground brines, while at the same time allow geothermal operations to continue functioning normally.

The technology could lead to a dual-use energy model in which geothermal heat production and lithium recovery happen simultaneously. But preventing corrosion and mineral buildup inside the extraction system is a great challenge.

To address the issue, the team designed an adaptive extraction plant capable of adjusting process parameters and chemical additives based on the composition of local thermal waters. The scientists are also working on a solid-free extraction process that avoids generating problematic mineral residues that could interfere with geothermal infrastructure.

The compact pilot system weighs approximately 551 lbs (250 kilograms). It also occupies roughly two cubic meters. This makes it transportable by van or forklift directly to geothermal facilities.

“We deliberately designed our pilot plant to be mobile while also allowing it to be easily adapted to deep waters with different compositions,” Cremer concluded in a press statement. “This means many thermal water operators could quickly and easily assess the feasibility and economic potential of their own lithium extraction projects.”