Providing low carbon geothermal heat for businesses, farms, and local authorities, as well as supplying lithium with a reduced environmental footprint for the french manufacture of electric vehicles: this is the promise of the Lithium de France project (a subsidiary of the Arverne group) launched at the Schwabwiller site in Alsace. And it could be happening soon, according to a press release dated November 24!
A 2,400-meter-deep borehole
Arverne Group, France’s leading provider of geothermal solutions, has just announced that drilling of the first geothermal doublet has begun. It is expected to take seven months. On the surface, the two wells will be 10 meters apart. They will gradually move further apart at depth, reaching a spacing of 1 kilometer at 2,400 meters below the surface.
The first step will be to confirm the flow rate and temperature, as well as the lithium content of the geothermal fluid at this site. This data should make it possible to refine geological models and adapt technical protocols.
According to Arverne’s press release, the use of geothermal heat “will reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to natural gas heating.” Lithium, meanwhile, “will have a reduced environmental footprint, with approximately 70% less CO₂ emissions compared to lithium currently available on the market.”
Good news for France’s energy independence
Lithium production has historically been controlled by a small number of players, with five manufacturers (American, Chilean, and Chinese) dominating the market. In France, lithium in its rock form is found in the Massif Central and the Armorican Massif.
The Schwabwiller project is the first to exploit lithium from geothermal brines. Extraction, scheduled to begin in 2026, is expected to reach 1,500 tons per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate.
The battery sector currently accounts for around half of the lithium consumed worldwide (46% in 2024 according to the IEA), a third of which is dedicated to electric vehicle applications alone. Each battery requires around 5 kilograms of lithium.
Sources
Communiqué de presse Arverne, 24 octobre 2025.
Lithium : où en est la France dans la course mondiale à l’approvisionnement ? Connaissance des énergies, 23 octobre 2024