France has started testing whether its own subsoil can power both homes and electric cars, with a pioneering project that mixes deep geothermal energy and lithium extraction in a single site.
France makes a rare bet on homegrown lithium
Since 24 November 2025, energy start-up Lithium de France, backed by Arverne Group, has been drilling in Schwabwiller, a small commune in northern Alsace, near Betschdorf. The operation aims to tap hot underground water to supply low‑carbon heat, while also checking if the brine contains enough lithium to justify industrial production.
The project arrives after several years of groundwork: 3D seismic surveys, thermal gradient measurements, environmental studies and public consultations with local residents. Regulators granted environmental approval in May 2025, and construction work on the site began that June, including earthworks, grid connections and concrete foundations for the rig.
France is testing whether one site can both heat local infrastructure and supply a major share of its lithium needs for batteries.
The drilling campaign represents a rare attempt by an EU country to secure its own supply of a metal usually imported from Australia, South America or processed in China. If successful, it could shift a part of Europe’s battery value chain back onto the continent.
Three goals packed into a single well pad
Lithium de France presents the initiative as a triple‑purpose project with local and national implications.
- Provide stable, low‑carbon heat to nearby communities, farms and factories.
- Produce “geothermal lithium” from naturally mineral-rich brines in a short, regional supply chain.
- Revive the economy of northern Alsace with a new industrial hub and up to 200 direct jobs.
The company wants to align France’s energy transition with industrial sovereignty: generate clean heat on site, and produce a strategic raw material for electric vehicle batteries without relying entirely on foreign suppliers.
From permits to a 30‑metre rig
Two licences, one basin rich in hot water
The story starts in 2022, when Lithium de France secured two exploration permits in northern Alsace: one focused on geothermal energy, the other on geothermal lithium. The target area sits on the French side of the Upper Rhine Graben, a long tectonic rift known for its natural hot water reservoirs.
Exploration campaigns between 2022 and 2023 confirmed that the underground aquifers could hold both significant heat and dissolved metals, especially lithium. Once the public inquiry closed at the end of 2024, authorities granted the environmental green light in May 2025, clearing the way for drilling.
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How the “doublet” system works
The Schwabwiller project uses a classic geothermal configuration known as a doublet: two deep wells, usually a few dozen metres apart at the surface but connected at depth in the same reservoir.
- One production well brings hot, mineral-rich water from around 2,400 metres below ground to the surface.
- A second well re-injects the cooled water back into the same formation after heat and, potentially, lithium are extracted.
The rig installed in late November stands several storeys high. The first drilling phase will last a few months and will gather data needed for both the energy and mining sides of the project.
The initial wells will act as a full‑scale pilot plant, testing whether geothermal heat and lithium can be produced together at industrial scale.
What the first drilling phase must prove
The current phase is less about immediate production and more about reducing uncertainty. Engineers aim to answer three crucial questions.
| Parameter | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | Determines how much usable heat the plant can deliver to local networks. |
| Flow rate | Shows whether the reservoir can supply enough water for stable, long‑term operation. |
| Lithium content | Decides if lithium extraction can be profitable and competitive with imported material. |
Geological studies suggest that deep waters in the Upper Rhine Graben can carry up to 200 milligrams of lithium per litre. That is high for geothermal brines, but actual concentrations at Schwabwiller still need to be confirmed once the wells reach full depth.
If the numbers look good, this first “doublet” would serve as an industrial demonstrator, paving the way for more wells in the region and a broader geothermal‑lithium network.
Why Alsace, and how big the prize could be
Northern Alsace is not a random choice. The Rhine Graben hosts deep sedimentary layers, fractured rocks and natural circulation of hot water. That combination tends to concentrate dissolved minerals, including lithium, in underground brines.
Lithium de France targets an eventual capacity of around 27,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year. According to figures cited by its parent company Arverne, that volume could cover roughly one‑third of France’s projected lithium needs.
If forecasts hold, Alsace’s hot brines could supply a significant slice of the lithium needed for French EV batteries.
Unlike traditional lithium mining, which relies on vast evaporation ponds or open pits, geothermal lithium uses closed circuits. The water circulates from the reservoir to the surface and back underground, limiting land use and visual impact. The same fluid carries both energy and a resource for battery materials.
Environmental promises and real‑world doubts
Big cuts in carbon footprint on paper
Lithium de France claims that its system could reduce CO₂ emissions from heating by up to 90% compared with fossil fuel boilers. For lithium production, the company expects around 70% lower emissions than typical imported lithium, which often travels long distances and uses energy‑intensive refining processes.
Those gains depend on actual plant performance, the cleanliness of the electricity used in processing, and the efficiency of lithium extraction technologies. But even partial success would mark a meaningful shift for a sector under pressure to cut its own environmental impact.
Local concerns and unanswered questions
The Alsace project still faces scepticism. Some residents and environmental groups worry about seismic risks, groundwater contamination or noise from drilling and operations. Geothermal projects in the wider region have previously faced controversy after induced micro‑earthquakes.
Economically, the venture remains a prototype. The brines might contain less lithium than hoped. The flow rate could fall over time. Extraction technologies could prove more expensive than anticipated. These variables will influence whether banks and industrial partners back further expansion.
What “geothermal lithium” actually means
The term can sound technical, yet the basic mechanism is straightforward.
- Rain and surface water slowly infiltrate deep rock layers.
- Down at several kilometres, the water heats up and dissolves minerals from the surrounding rocks.
- A well brings the hot, mineral-rich brine to the surface.
- Heat exchangers capture the thermal energy for district heating or industrial use.
- Chemical processes on site separate lithium from the cooled brine.
- The demineralised water is then re‑injected underground to close the cycle.
Compared with hard‑rock mines in Australia or salt flats in South America, geothermal lithium uses less land and can sit close to towns and factories that need both heat and batteries. The trade‑off lies in technical complexity and the need for constant monitoring of the reservoir.
What this could mean for Europe’s battery race
Across Europe, carmakers and cell manufacturers plan dozens of gigafactories. They still depend heavily on raw materials and refining capacity controlled by China and a few other players. A domestic geothermal lithium industry in France would not remove that dependence overnight, but it would cut some of the risk.
If Schwabwiller works, similar projects could target other promising zones: parts of the Rhine Graben, the Massif Central, or even disused coal mines repurposed for geothermal circulation. Each site would have its own geology, but the principle of combining heat and critical metals could spread.
For local communities, the most tangible outcomes will be simpler: stable heating bills, new technical jobs and investments in regions that often feel left behind. The next months of drilling in Alsace will show whether those expectations rest on firm rock, or on overly optimistic projections.