As in previous years, the German Lithium Institute ITEL (Institute for Technologies and Economics of Lithium) organized the Lithium Days as an exchange platform to bring together experts from science, industry and politics as well as investors. Titled "Lithium Economy at the Crossroads", the event was held from December 5 to 7 at the H+ Hotel in Leipzig. Key issues addressed included the potential competitive advantages in Germany and Europe and the contribution that German and European innovation landscapes can make in the future. Topics such as process innovations, lithium standards, by-product value chains, ESG criteria, climate-neutral production and a circular lithium economy were at the forefront of the numerous discussion panels.
In this context, about 38 speakers gave insight into ongoing research work and projects around the lithium value chain. The two UnLimited project partners EnBW and KIT were also represented at the conference. Thereby, Prof. Dr. Jochen Kolb (KIT) presented the potential of direct lithium extraction by sorption and the application in deep geothermal waters of the Upper Rhine Graben within session 2 "Lithium Resources".