ABB, Inc. (Zurich, Switzerland) has been selected by Vulcan Energy to deliver the complete electrical infrastructure for its Phase One Lionheart Project in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany. Combining renewable energy generation with lithium extraction and processing, the development will generate battery-quality LHM for the European electric vehicle market.
Lionheart will have the capacity to produce 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, enough for ca. 500,000 electric vehicles per year, in addition to 275 GWh of power and 560 GWh of heat.
Under three contracts totaling €46 million, ABB will serve as the main electrical contractor for the Lionheart Project, responsible for the design, engineering, manufacture, testing and delivery of electrical systems. The contracts cover ABB technology powering the Lithium Extraction Plant in Landau, the Central Lithium Plant in Frankfurt’s Industriepark Höchst, and the surrounding well sites. This includes the full electrification scope from high-, medium- and low-voltage distribution and transformers to drives, uninterruptible power supplies and protection equipment. Together, these systems will provide a stable, efficient flow of electricity from the 110 kV grid through to each process and building-level operation.
This appointment builds on a Memorandum of Understanding between the two companies, signed in April 2024 to streamline engineering and strengthen project delivery by optimizing design, supply and cost performance. Under the contracts, the combination of ABB’s expertise in electrification and Vulcan Energy’s renewable lithium process will help to establish Europe’s first fully integrated renewable lithium operation.
“The Lionheart Project is a blueprint for how clean energy and advanced electrification go hand in hand,” said Björn Jonsson, Global Business Line Manager, Mining & Materials, ABB’s Process Industries division. “We are building the foundations for a stronger European battery supply chain, helping to meet growing demand for electric vehicles at a crucial point in the transition to clean mobility.”