Rock Tech Targets €100 Million for German Lithium Refinery

Rock Tech Lithium

Canada-based Rock Tech Lithium has secured €100 million in funding for its proposed lithium conversion facility in Germany, where it aims to produce lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) for electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries. On Thursday, the company announced it had received a binding letter of intent from the state of Brandenburg, Germany, for up to €90 million ($96.5 million) in subsidies for the Guben project. This funding is contingent upon Rock Tech securing the full €800 million required for the refinery.

In addition, Rock Tech anticipates receiving €10 million from the German Railway Authority to support the transition of its transportation operations at Guben from road to rail.

With these potential subsidies, Rock Tech seeks to obtain €500 million through federal funding for the refinery. The company, having received the final permits necessary to commence construction in mid-May, remains "very confident" in its ability to secure the remaining capital in the coming months.

Initially, Rock Tech planned to commence LHM production, a precursor cathode active material (pCAM), this year. However, the timeline has been revised to early 2026. The groundbreaking for the refinery took place in March 2023.

The Guben project is designed with a production capacity of 24,000 metric tonnes per year, which Rock Tech asserts can power 500,000 EVs annually. This facility is the first of five conversion plants the company intends to establish in North America and Europe, with another identified location in Red Rock township, Ontario, expected to begin LHM production by 2028.

Rock Tech plans to source raw materials from its Georgia Lake spodumene project in Ontario, in addition to procuring hard rock from third parties, including the Chinese trading house C&D Logistics. The company has also expressed interest in recycling end-of-life EV batteries as an additional feedstock source "in the years to come."