Hochtief appointed to build European lithium plants for EV batteries

The news comes after it expanded its partnership with Germany’s Vulcan Energy which is developing the plants and in which Hochtief is a shareholder.

Sedgman and Hochtief Infrastructure, both part of Spain’s ACS Group, have been appointed engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contractors for Vulcan’s Lionheart Project in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley.

The programme covers a €397m lithium extraction plant and a €337m central lithium plant, both identified by the EU as a Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act.

The move forms part of Hochtief and parent group ACS’s wider strategy to build a presence across the critical minerals and energy-transition value chain.

Alongside the EPCM role, Hochtief will invest €169m in Vulcan, including €39m in the Lionheart scheme and up to €130m in Vulcan shares. The company has also been named preferred supplier for the project’s civil construction works.

Hochtief and ACS chief executive Juan Santamaría said, “The Lionheart Project is a flagship initiative for Europe’s clean energy future, combining lithium production with renewable energy generation. It is a strategic, high-impact project that aligns with our Group’s global capabilities in energy infrastructure.

“As a shareholder in Vulcan Energy, we are proud to support the delivery of this important project and to contribute the combined strengths of Sedgman and HOCHTIEF. Our expertise in mineral processing and infrastructure makes us ideal partners for a development of this scale and significance.”

The Lionheart Project is planned to produce 24,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually from geothermal brine, with renewable heat and power generated as part of the process. Offtake agreements have already been secured with customers in Europe’s battery supply chain.