Award for Real-World Impact: Lithium Extraction Turns Geothermal into a Competitive Energy Solution!

We’re proud to share that the article “Low-carbon lithium extraction makes deep geothermal plants cost-competitive in future energy systems” by Dr Jann Weinand and his team has been selected by Jinyue Yan, Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal Advances in Applied Energy, as the “Editor’s Choice – Article with real-world impact” -  a distinction awarded to research with particularly high societal relevance.

The study shows that deep geothermal plants, when combined with direct lithium extraction, can be designed not only environmentally friendly, but also economically competitive. Even under less favorable conditions, this technology can serve as a valuable complement to photovoltaics, wind power, and energy storage. Using the Upper Rhine Graben region in Germany as a case study, the research illustrates that just 33 such plants could supply enough lithium each year for around 1.2 million electric vehicle batteries - equivalent to approximately 70% of current annual EV registrations in the EU.

A compelling example of research with tangible value for the energy transition and the sustainable supply of critical raw materials in Germany and beyond.

🔗 Read the article: Low-carbon lithium extraction makes deep geothermal plants cost-competitive in future energy systems - ScienceDirect