The German-Canadian company Rock Tech Lithium, which intends to set up its first production plant in Europe for battery-capable lithium hydroxide in Guben, has now submitted the documents for the first partial approval to the state of Brandenburg. According to the company, this is initially about the planned buildings and roads. At the same time, the State Environment Agency is examining the project’s basic approvability and environmental compatibility, it said.
Internal plans envisage that construction work on the future factory will begin in the autumn. The second partial application, which concerns the actual production facilities, is to be submitted in May. A final application for supply systems and outbuildings will follow in July. The company wants to hold an information day in Guben as early as April in order to involve the local population in the project as early as possible.
In October, Rock Tech Lithium acquired a plot of land on the site of the former man-made fiber plant in Guben for 80 million euros to set up production. In the future, 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide will be produced annually in the production plant. According to Rock Tech, this amount is enough to produce batteries for around 500,000 electric cars. A total of 470 million euros are to be invested in the project, which will also mean 160 jobs in Guben. Rock Tech intends to announce the location of another plant in Germany later this year.