Vulcan begins drill rig construction at geothermal drilling site in Landau, Germany
The Schleidberg drilling site of Vulcan Energy near Landau, Germany (source: Vulcan Energy)
Carlo Cariaga
7 Feb 2025
Vulcan Energy has started construction of a drilling rig in the Schleidberg site near Landau, Germany as the company prepares to drill a deep geothermal well.
Vulcan Energy announces that its in-house drilling company Vercana has started activities to set up the “V20” drilling rig at the Schleidberg drilling site near Landau in Germany. This step is part of Vulcan’s combined project to produce climate-neutral lithium and renewable energy from deep geothermal energy and marks the start of work on the concrete implementation of the first project phase “Lionheart” on site.
The start of drilling work is currently planned for the second quarter of 2025, subject to the successful commissioning of the drilling rig. As soon as the financing of the first project phase is completed, Vercana will begin installing the second electric drilling rig “V10” at the planned Trappelberg drilling site.
The construction of the V20 drilling rig follows the successful completion of key infrastructure work such as the construction of the Schleidberg drilling site, the establishment of the crew camp and the development of the access road. The electric drilling rig has an output of 2,500 hp, a hook load capacity of 550 tons and is equipped with a high-pressure pump system with up to 7,500 psi.
During the construction work on the rig, there will be increased transport traffic around the drilling site. The transports are organized in close coordination with the responsible authorities to ensure smooth implementation and speedy execution and thus keep disruption to residents as low as possible.
The mining authority approved the special operating plan and transport permits for V20 in the fourth quarter of 2024. In addition, further permits were issued for special components of the drilling rig. After the rig has been constructed, routine commissioning and testing procedures will follow to ensure safe and efficient operation.
Vulcan is currently working on the implementation of the first project phase “Lionheart” in the Landau region. The combined production of climate-neutral lithium and renewable energy will provide green district heating for households in the region. In addition, in phase one, Vulcan will produce around 24,000 tons of climate-neutral lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually for the automotive industry in Germany and Europe. This amount of lithium is sufficient to produce 500,000 electric vehicle batteries per year.
Managing Director and CEO of Vulcan Energy, Cris Moreno, comments: “The construction of the V20 drilling rig is not only an important milestone for our Lionheart project, but also an important step on the way to establishing a sustainable and domestic supply chain for lithium. With two fully electric and modern drilling rigs and an experienced team, our in-house drilling company Vercana is excellently equipped to safely implement the deep geothermal drilling for the production of renewable energy and lithium here in the Upper Rhine Graben in the coming years. This will enable us to contribute to supplying the region with renewable base heat and support the transition to electromobility in Germany and Europe.”
“We are now entering a new phase of project development in which the safety and quality of the execution of our project is our top priority. In order to meet our high standards, we will work closely with all important partners and stakeholders in the region.”
Source: Vulcan Energy
