How Lithium Is Extracted from Thermal Water
Neptune Energy and Fraunhofer IEG are testing adsorbent materials for direct lithium extraction and preparing for the potential establishment of industrial-scale production starting in 2030.
August 17, 2026
Source: E & M powernwes
Neptune Energy and Fraunhofer researchers are testing adsorbent materials in the Altmark region for lithium extraction from thermal water.
The raw material is abundant down there, but how do you extract it from the thermal water? Oil exploration company Neptune Energy has identified 43 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in a groundwater deposit at a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 meters in the Altmark region (Saxony-Anhalt). The plan is to extract the lithium via adsorption. The company is working with experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Energy (IEG) to determine the most efficient way to accomplish this. According to a press release, various adsorption materials will be tested in a pilot plant over the coming months.
Neptune plans to extract the thermal water via boreholes and recover the lithium it contains using DLE (Direct Lithium Extraction) technology. Evonik Catalysts has been selected as the supplier of the adsorbent material for the first test phase, the statement adds. The material has proven to be stable and effective in preliminary tests.
During adsorption, lithium ions from the thermal water are bound to the adsorbent material. The ions are then desorbed from the material. This produces a lithium-containing solution from which lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide monohydrate can be produced after further processing steps.
1,000 liters per day
According to Neptune, the pilot plant developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IEG can process up to 1,000 liters of thermal water per day. Three adsorber columns operating in parallel are designed to enable nearly simultaneous adsorption and desorption of the lithium ions. Lithium extraction takes place in an oxygen-free environment.
In the project area, the lithium is found at depths of 3,000 to 4,000 meters in thermal water stored in the pore space of the rock. Neptune envisions a phased start to commercial lithium production beginning in 2030. In the 2030s, up to 25,000 metric tons of LCE are expected to be produced annually. According to the company, this amount corresponds to the lithium demand for batteries in approximately 500,000 electric vehicles.
“Through the DLE pilot plant developed with Fraunhofer IEG, we are gaining important insights for selecting the optimal adsorbent material for the thermal water from the Altmark region. This brings us one step closer to industrial-scale lithium production in the Altmark,” says Axel Wenke of Neptune Energy with conviction.
Author: Manfred Fischer
