Viridian Lithium to Establish First Lithium Refining Plant in Lauterbourg
The Strasbourg-based startup Viridian Lithium has signed a lease agreement with the Ports of Strasbourg to establish its lithium production plant in Lauterbourg, Bas-Rhin. This pioneering facility, set on a 14-hectare site with an additional 6 hectares reserved for future expansion, marks the first of its kind in Europe for lithium refining.
Founded in 2021, Viridian Lithium had announced its intention to set up in Lauterbourg in 2022, and now moves forward with this strategic project in the northern Alsace port hub. The plant, named CoRaLi, is one of the initial five winners of the 2022 French government's call for projects aimed at developing critical materials production, refining, or recycling.
Targeting an initial annual production of 28,500 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate by 2027, the facility aims to support the production of two million electric vehicles per year. Viridian Lithium promises the "lowest carbon intensity in the world" for its lithium production, leveraging the French energy mix and innovative industrial processes.
In 2022, Chairman and co-founder Rémy Welschinger outlined the company's goal to transform lithium carbonate into the more efficient lithium hydroxide for electric vehicle batteries. Traditionally, this transformation process is energy-intensive, but Viridian's method aims to reduce carbon emissions significantly. The company claims its plant will achieve a carbon intensity of 3.7 kg of CO2 per kg of finished product, compared to the industry standard of 15 to 20 kg.
The project is expected to create 250 direct jobs and 600 indirect jobs during the construction phases, contributing significantly to the local economy and the broader European lithium supply chain.
