Summary
Germany has found large amounts of lithium in the Altmark Region. This discovery could help Europe rely less on foreign lithium, especially from China. Neptune Energy will use a new method to extract the lithium, which is important for making electric vehicle batteries.
Key Facts
- Germany discovered 43 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in the Altmark Region.
- The lithium found could provide enough material for about 500,000 electric vehicle batteries yearly by the 2030s.
- China currently dominates the processing of lithium needed for battery production.
- Neptune Energy is testing a method called direct lithium extraction, which is more environmentally friendly than traditional mining.
- The company plans to continue testing new extraction technologies until the second quarter of 2026.
- Further development depends on obtaining mining permits and testing a fully integrated extraction plant.
- Reducing reliance on Chinese lithium processing aligns with the European Union's environmental goals and the European Green Deal.
