Vulcan Energy to look for brine in Italy

Lithium producer Vulcan Energy Resources has been granted a research permit in Italy. It concerns an 11.5-square-kilometre area in Cesano near Rome, where brine samples were found in a geothermal well.

According to a Vulcan statement, this sample well detected an average lithium content of between 350 and 380 mg/l in the brine. By comparison, in the Upper Rhine Graben, where the company plans to build its first commercial plant, the deep water contains between 200 and 400 milligrams of lithium per litre, according to the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).

Based on these results, Vulcan says it sees the potential to set up commercial production – if further assessments are positive – because of “the recorded high heat and lithium contents in the brine and the encouraging flow rates”.

To this end, Vulcan’s geological team in Germany will work together with Italian geologists and local stakeholders. Not only will historical data be evaluated, but the lithium content will be further tested. “If successful, the Cesano Project could provide a source of strategic, sustainable lithium in Italy for Europe’s battery and automotive market, and become a possible future additive to Vulcan’s Zero Carbon Lithium business,” the statement said. Vulcan’s Managing Director Francis Wedin announced that he would “work with local partners to further identify the potential of the area and determine the next steps”.

irmau.com (PDF)