26 November 2024: Vulcan Energy and the City of Landau have signed an option agreement to secure the property in the D12 development plan in the City of Landau.

The reservation of the area in the Am Messegelände Südost Industrial Park represents a step towards the implementation of the planned integrated geothermal and lithium plant. This plant will provide climate-neutral heat and sustainable lithium for the region, while also making an important contribution to the energy transition.

The signing of the contract follows the recently announced state funding commitment of up to €100 million for Vulcan’s Heat4Landau Project. This includes the construction of the infrastructure to generate and provide up to 255 MW of renewable geothermal energy to be used to decarbonise the district heating supply in Landau.

The City of Landau had already given a clear signal of support for the project in December 2023 and the approval of the D12 development plan in June 2024. With the now signed option agreement, Vulcan has secured the necessary basis for the preparation of the construction work.

Commenting on the option agreement, Lord Mayor of the City of Landau, Dominik Geißler, said: “‘The planned plant will provide green heat for the City of Landau and create economic impetus for the region. We are pleased that we, as the southern Palatinate metropolis, are leading the way.” In addition to creating new jobs and promoting local industrial partnerships, the project will contribute to the region’s long-term positioning as a pioneer in sustainable technologies.

The planned facility will not only provide green heat for the City of Landau, which will be distributed to households by the grid operators via the district heating network, but also supply climate-neutral lithium for battery production – a crucial factor for the European electromobility strategy. Vulcan has already signed long-term offtake agreements with leading companies such as Stellantis, Renault, LG and Umicore.

Thorsten Weimann, Chief Development Officer of Vulcan, Thorsten Weimann, said: “‘The signing of the option agreement is another milestone in the realisation of our project in Landau. This agreement underlines the close co-operation with the City and the joint commitment to a sustainable future.

“We look forward to making a significant contribution to the region’s climate-neutral energy supply with the geothermal and lithium plant.”

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Annabel Roedhammer | Vice President Communications | aroedhammer@v-er.eu | +49 1511 410 1585

Judith Buchan | Communications Lead – APAC | jbuchan@v-er.eu | +61 411 597 326