26 to 27 Novmber 2024

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Circular Lithium Economy – Bridging the Knowledge Gap

The EU has defined a list of critical raw materials for 2024 that are essential for the success of the Green Deal and at the same time crucial for future growth. Lithium is one of these raw materials. The cornerstones of the EU raw materials strategy are: 10% of mining in Europe, 40% of refining in Europe and 25% of recycling by 2030! Currently, all three values for lithium are close to 0%. How can we succeed in extracting 10% of lithium from mining in Europe by 2030? Can we obtain enough raw materials for refinery capacity by 2030? How will sustainablility criteria be achieved? Who will hedge the geopolitical risks of the European raw materials strategy? Can we recover 25% of recycled lithium by 2030, given the slow expansion of e-mobility?

Many of the technological and economic facts surrounding a lithium economy that is set to replace the fossil fuel economy are known – but key links are missing. This year’s conference aims to close this gap.

LithiumDays is an annual event organised by ITEL –  Institute for Technologies and Economics of Lithium (Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH), which brings together experts, the lithium industry, politicians and investors. Our partner country 2024 is Tanzania.

Get your ticket for LithiumDays 2024

The attendance ticket includes: Participation fee for both conference days and a cultural programme. *

The digital ticket includes: Online participation on both conference days.

*Any possible accommodation costs are not included in the price. If you need a hotel room, please find below recommendations for hotels with special rates for LithiumDays 2024.

Schedule

Download as PDF

8:30 h (CET) | Registration

9:15 h | Welcome & opening remarks

Welcome by Prof Dr Ralf Wehrspohn (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH), Andreas Heilmann (ITEL Chairman), Dr Uwe Knotzer (General partner of Knauf Gips KG) and Dr Anja Weisgerber, MdB (Spokesperson for Environmental Policy of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group)

Session 1 – RISK MANAGEMENT FOR LITHIUM AS CRITICAL MATERIAL
Chair: Prof Dr Ulrich Blum (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

10:45 h
Keynote | Michael Schmidt (DERA, BGR): Lithium 2030 – Changing Landscape Europe

11:15 h
Lecture 1| Dr Vanessa Schenker (ETH Zurich): “Assessing environmental impacts of lithium from brines: Data requirements and life cycle approaches”

11:35 h
Lecture 2 | Dr Felix Carl Schultz (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH): “If You Can’t Measure it, You Can’t Manage it: ESG as a strategy for mitigating risks and creating competitive advantage”

11:55 h
Panel discussion | How much risk can lithium industries bear?, with Prof Dr Ulrich Blum, Michael Schmidt, Vanessa Schenker, Dr Felix Carl Schultz, Robert Schmid (Rhenus Ports GmbH & Co KG)

+++ 12:45 h | Lunch break +++

Session 2 – TANZANIA: LITHIUM’S ROLE IN INDUSTRIALIZATION
Chair: Prof Dr Gregor Borg (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

14:00 h
Welcome address | H.E. Hassani Iddi Mwamweta (Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania)

14:05 Uhr
Introduction | Sundi Malomo (The Mining Commission, Tanzania): Environmental policy and law in Tanzanian mining industry

14:15 h
Keynote | Prof Paul Nex (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa): African Lithium – A review

14:45 h
Lecture 1 | Dr Elisante Mshiu (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania): Tanzania’s battery mineral deposits and their by-products

15:05 h
Lecture 2 | Ilse Boshoff (Knauf Gypsum Tanzania Ltd.): Operating as a sustainable, responsible building materials manufacture and mineral process company in Tanzania

15:25 h
Panel discussion | Tanzania: What role can lithium and other battery minerals play in the country’s industrialization?, with Prof Dr Gregor Borg, Sundi Malomo, Dr Elisante Mshiu, Ilse Boshoff, Prof Dr Ulrich Blum

 +++ 16:15 h | short break +++

Session 3 – PRIMARY LITHIUM RESOURCES: CASE STUDIES & ANALYTICS
Chair: Prof Dr Ralf Wehrspohn (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

16:30 h
Case Study 1
 | Dr André Majdalani (AMG Lithium GmbH): Europe’s first lithium refinery

16:50 h
Case Study 2
| Dr. Axel Wenke (Neptune Energy): Altmark Lithium Extraction (ALE)

17:10 h
Case Study 3
 | Evangelia Kardamaki (Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM): Inline lithium monitoring for direct lithium extraction

17:30 Uhr
Case Study 4
| Anton du Plessis (Zinnwald Lithium GmbH): A new chapter in a centuries-old mining tradition: Zinnwald Lithium project update

+++ ca. 18:00 Uhr | End of conference +++

POSTER SESSION accompanying both conference days
Contributions from among others SECOPTA analytics GmbH; Fraunhofer IWKS

+++ 19:00 h | Dinner & Networking +++

Session 4 – LITHIUM RECYCLING: CLOSING THE LOOP
Chair: Richard Schalinski (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

8:30 h (CET)
Keynote | Dr Christian Hying (Evonik Operations GmbH): Evonik – Electromembrane process to recover Lithium

9:00 h
Lecture 1 | Jannik Schmitz (Rock Tech Lithium Inc.): Innovation in lithium processing: A case study on closed-loop lithium recycling

9:20 h
Lecture 2 | Dr Leslie Bryson (Aurubis AG): The Aurubis “Lithium First” black mass recycling process

9:40 h
Panel discussion | Lithium recycling: How can we close the loop?, with Richard Schalinski, Dr Christian Hying, Jannik Schmitz, Dr Adalbert Lossin (Aurubis AG), Dr Tom Vöge (GRS Batterien Service GmbH), Greg Pitt (Worley)

 +++ individual coffee break +++

Session 5 – WASTE-TO-VALUE AND CARBON CAPTURE
Chair: Dr Andreas Neumann (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

10:30 h
Keynote | David Algermissen (FEhS – Institute for Building Materials Research e.V.): Metallurgical treatment of steel slags to optimize its properties

11:00 h
Lecture 1 | Prof Dr Jürgen Neubauer (Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg): Building materials and CCMS – A geo-scientific approach

11:20 h
Lecture 2 | Julia Woskowski (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut): Properties of leached spodumene as SCM

11:40 h
Panel discussion | Waste-to-value – a realistic scenario?, with Dr Andreas Neumann, David Algermissen, Prof Dr Jürgen Neubauer, Julia Woskowski, Harald Schmitt (Knauf Gips KG)

 +++ individual coffee break +++

SUMMARY & OUTLOOK
Prof Dr Ralf Wehrspohn (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

12:30 h
Dr Badr Ikken (President Gi3, Chairman of the German-Moroccan Forum): The potential and roadmap for green hydrogen in Morocco

12:50 h
Prof Dr Ralf Wehrspohn: Summary of LithiumDays 2024, outlook for 2025

+++ 13:15 h | Lunch & Networking +++

POSTER SESSION accompanying both conference days

 14:30 h | SUPPORTING PROGRAMME

  • Guided tour of the Knauf Museum
  • Tour of the Hüttenheim anhydrite pit
  • Factory tour Knauf Gips KG

Call for Posters

Present your scientific poster contribution on the topic “Circular Lithium Economy – Bridging the Knowledge Gap” at LithiumDays 2024!
Send us your abstract by 31 October 2024.

Speakers 2024

Prof Dr Dr h.c.
Ulrich Blum

Co-CEO ITEL; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Prof Dr Ralf B. Wehrspohn

Co-CEO ITEL; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Prof Dr
Gregor Borg

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Michael Schmidt

Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)

Evangelia Kardamaki

Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM

Dr Vanessa Schenker

ETH Zurich

Ilse Boshoff

Knauf Gypsum Tanzania Ltd.

Richard Schalinski

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Sundi Malomo

The Mining Commission, Tanzania

David Algermissen

FEhS – Institute for Building Materials Research e.V.

Julia Woskowski

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Dr Elisante Mshiu

University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Prof Dr Jürgen Neubauer

Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg

Dr Badr Ikken

President Gi3, Chairman of the German-Moroccan Forum

Dr Christian Hying

Evonik Operations GmbH

Greg Pitt

Worley

Dr André Majdalani

AMG Lithium GmbH

Dr Leslie Bryson

Aurubis AG

Dr Tom Vöge

GRS Service GmbH

Dr Felix Carl Schultz

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Prof Paul Nex

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Dr Axel Wenke

Neptune Energy

Anton du Plessis

Zinnwald Lithium GmbH

Robert Schmid

Rhenus Ports GmbH & Co KG

Jannik Schmitz

Rock Tech Lithium Inc.

Dr Andreas Neumann

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Accomodation

Special contingents are available for your accommodation in the following hotels in Iphofen and nearby Würzburg (approx. 30 minutes away).
If you quote the respective keyword, you will receive rooms at discounted rates until the specified deadline.

Hotel Zehntkeller Iphofen

Single room:
105,00 -110,00 EUR per room/night incl. breakfast

Bookable until 28 Oct. 2024 with keyword:
Knauf Lithium Days

Motel One Würzburg

Single room:
99,00 EUR per room/night
plus breakfast 16,90 EUR per person/day.

Bookable via the form below until 21 Oct. 2024 with keyword:
570.043.715

GHOTEL hotel & living Würzburg

Single room:
105,00 EUR per room/night incl. breakfast

Bookable until 21 Oct 2024 with keyword:
Lithium Days

Moxy Wuerzburg

Single room:
139,00 EUR per room/night incl. breakfast

Bookable until 28 Oct 2024 via the following link:

About the conference venue

Knauf Gips KG Am Bahnhof 7, 97346 Iphofen, Germany

Navigation address Mainbernheimer Straße 15, 97346 Iphofen, Germany

In 2024, LithiumDays will take place for the first time in Iphofen, Lower Franconia, at the headquarters of the internationally operating family business Knauf Gips KG, partner of the ITEL – German Lithium Institute. Here, the idyllic location surrounded by vineyards and an impressive historic old town are combined with short distances, good transport links and walking distance to local public transport.

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We recommend that participants of LithumDays 2024 make use of the special contingents at the hotels in Iphofen and Würzburg. All information can be found in the Accommodation section.

Discover Iphofen

Welcome to Iphofen! The town is characterised by culture, culinary delights and nature. Surrounded by vineyards and forests, Iphofen is idyllically nestled in beautiful Upper Franconia. The historic old town impresses with gates, towers and a completely preserved medieval fortification an ideal setting for cultural and culinary discoveries.

Review on LithiumDays 2023

For the third time, the international lithium scene attended LithiumDays 2023 in Halle (Saale). As in previous years, the hybrid conference with 110 participants from industry and research was held at the H+ Hotel Leipzig-Halle and featured six specialist sessions with 30 presentations and ten poster contributions, covering a wide range of topics and stimulating numerous discussions. 

Day 1: Introduction: How to Shoulder EU Lithium Growth

The current challenges of our time – increasing conflicts and associated economic uncertainties due to high energy prices – and the regulatory and political global responses also have an impact on the lithium market and all associated value chains. Is the Critical Raw Materials Act imposed by the EU the right response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)? How do these affect battery regulations and efforts to build a sustainable and green circular economy for lithium? What impact do these initiatives have on the global market, but also on the competitiveness of the EU and Germany? 

These topics were discussed in introductory speeches by political officials and representatives from universities in the city of Halle (Saale) and the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Speakers included Thomas Wünsch, State Secretary in the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment, Prof. Dr. Christine Fürst, Vice-Rector for Research, Internationalization and Transfer at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the rectors of Anhalt and Merseburg universities. They emphasized the importance of lithium for the green energy transition for the state, federal state and municipal levels, as well as the necessary diversification of value chains in order to avoid dependencies and counter possible bottlenecks.