The Upper Rhine Graben is a profitable source of lithium for several decades.

2023-09-08 15:53:18

A worker stirs lithium by hand at a processing plant in Antofagasta, Chile. In Chile, large quantities of white gold are extracted from the brine in extensive salt lakes. Image: dpa

Lithium is essential for e-mobility and demand is increasing worldwide. The largest deposit in Europe lies in the Upper Rhine Graben. With geothermal energy plants, the battery raw material could be extracted for several decades.

Lithium is one of the most sought-after raw materials in the world. The light metal and its compounds are found in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power cell phones, e-bikes and e-cars. While small batteries only contain a few grams of the alkali metal, an electric car requires a few kilograms, and the Tesla Model S even requires up to 80 kilograms of lithium.

Even now, before the era of electromobility has really begun, the demand for lithium is immense. Loud a current report from the American cartographic agency USGS Around 130,000 tons of lithium were mined worldwide last year (in 2021 there were still 107,000 tons) – especially in Chile, Bolivia, China and Australia, where the largest reserves are located.