Exploring the source of lithium in the URG geothermal brines

The origin of lithium in deep geothermal waters in Germany is largely unknown to date but is an important variable in the sustainable yield of the resource. To minimize this gap of information, the UnLimited consortium will examine drill cuttings and surface analogs from the study sites in the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) and the North German Basin (NGB) with respect to their lithium content.

The aim of the investigations is to identify where the lithium in the geothermal brines potentially originates from. Therefore, a major and trace element analysis as well as a mineral specific element analysis will be performed. The selection of the solid samples as well as the evaluation of the data will be done by HYDROSION GmbH in cooperation with KIT, which will undertake the geochemical investigations. EnBW AG, as the operator of the Bruchsal geothermal site, will provide the sample material.