The Luxembourg-based company Livista Energy Europe is planning a lithium refinery in Germany. This is to go into operation in 2026 and produce up to 40,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium products per year – enough for the batteries of around 850,000 electric vehicles.

According to Livista, it is the first chemical refinery for battery lithium in Europe. In the long term, the production capacity is to be doubled and a second plant built. In addition, it is planned that by 2030 half of the capacity of the first plant will consist of recycled raw materials.

Technip Energies, a French engineering and technology company for the energy and chemical sectors, was commissioned with the implementation. Technip Energies had won a corresponding tender process and will carry out the engineering, initial procurement activities, cost estimates and all permitting work required for the construction of the first plant as part of the FEED design. The company will also undertake the initial works for the expansion of the second plant at the same site.

The preliminary assessment for a second refinery based on the first refinery design will be carried out in parallel, according to Lavistas. However, Livista does not yet name a specific location – for either of the two planned plants.

The aim, according to Livista, is to “close a critical gap in Europe’s supply chains for electric vehicles and batteries, as currently all lithium refineries are operated in Asia”. The new facilities are intended to enable European car and battery manufacturers to meet EU requirements. According to this, “all batteries produced in Europe should contain a minimum proportion of lithium battery products from local production by 2030”.

“The capacity of our plants to accept recycled battery materials will make us a key part of the circular economy and will support our customers in sourcing lithium directly in Europe,” says Jean-Marc Ichbia, COO of Livista Energy. “Livista will also support the EU with its EV growth objectives, and sourcing of local materials, alongside moving towards energy independence.”

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