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LithiumDays 2024 will take place from 26 to 27 November 2024.

More information will follow shortly.

4th to 6th December 2023

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How to Shoulder EU Lithium Growth

Europe has decided to stop the production of the combustion engine by 2035, the UK even by 2030. A further important component of Europe’s energy transition is decentralised electricity storage. All this leads to a lithium demand of at least 500 kt lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in 2030, starting from almost 0 kt LCE in 2023. How can we build a lithium economy within 7 years that covers most of the demand, is geopolitically resilient, and meets ESG criteria? What does the EU Raw Materials Act mean for accelerating the build-up and what is Germany’s response to it? How can high sustainability standards and economic viability be achieved in the context of symbiotic industries?

LithiumDays 2023 will focus on the discussion of process innovations, lithium standards, by-product value chains, ESG criteria, CO₂-neutral production and a circular lithium economy. #lithiumdays is an annual event organised by ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH, bringing together experts, the lithium industry, policy makers and investors to promote the “New German Lithium Ecosystem”. Our partner country in 2023 is Uzbekistan.

Get your ticket for LithiumDays 2023

Your ticket for Lithium Days 2023 – “How to Shoulder EU Lithium Growth” includes personal attendance at all three conference days (4th to 6th December 2023) plus the supporting programme.*

The online ticket includes the fee to the live broadcast at all three conference days.

*Accommodation costs are not included in the ticket price. If you need an overnight stay, please chose the option in the form below. You will be forwarded to H+ Hotel Leipzig-Halle which is also the LithiumDays 2023 conference location.

Schedule

10:00 h (CET): Supporting Programme
Art Museum Moritzburg Halle (Saale): “The Moritzburg Tour: The Cardinal’s Residence”.

12:30 h: Registration and lunch snack

 

14:00 h: Welcome
Welcome by the Chairman of the Friends of the German Lithium Institute e.V., Andreas Heilmann

14:20 h: Welcome Addresses
Thomas Wünsch, State Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment of Saxony-Anhalt
– Dr. Judith Marquardt, Councillor for Culture and Sports of the City of Halle
Prof. Dr. habil. Christine Fürst, Prorector for Research, Internationalisation and Transfer, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Prof. Dr. Jörg Bagdahn, President Hochschule Anhalt, University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Dirk Sackmann, Vice-Rector for Research, Knowledge Transfer and Business Start-ups at Hochschule Merseburg, University of Applied Sciences

Session 1: Economy of Lithium
Chair: Prof. Dr. Ralf B. Wehrspohn (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

15:25 h: Keynote: “Critical Raw Materials Act” (Constanze Veeh, DERA/BGR and Unit for Energy Intensive Industries and Raw Materials at the European Commission)

15:55 h:Lithium – Regulatoy implications from CRMA, IRA, CBAM and Battery Directive” (Michael Schmidt, DERA)

16:25 h: Status update Guben lithium converter (Klaus Schmitz, Rock Tech Lithium Inc.)

16:45 h: ++ Coffee break ++

 

Guest Country Uzbekistan
Chair: Andreas Heilmann (GP Günter Papenburg AG)

17:15 h: Welcome address by Andreas Heilmann (GP Günter Papenburg AG)

17:20 h: Speech by the Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Dilschod Akhatov

17:35 h: Musical interlude

17:45 h: Welcome address and keynote by the First Deputy Minister of Mining Industry and Geology of Uzbekistan, Omonullo Nasritdinchodzhaev

18:25 h: Keynote: “Growth markets in Central Asia Spotlight on Uzbekistan” (Eduard Kinsbruner, Ost-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations)

18:55 h: “Scientific research collaborations between Germany and Uzbekistan funded by the BMBF. International joint projects supported by the Martin Luther University representative office/CASIB in Almaty” (Dr. Peter Liebelt, Central Asia Sustainable Innovation Bureau (CASIB))

19:15 h: ++ Dinner with Uzbek specialities, networking ++

Session 2: Primary Raw Materials
Chair: Prof. Dr. Gregor Borg (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

09:00 h (CET): Keynote: “Lithium extraction from geothermal systems in Germany – challenges and opportunities for a local raw material supply” (Valentin Goldberg, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT)

09:30 h: “Geochemical characterisation of selected lithiumdeposits as a contribution to a proof of origin of lithium minerals” (Nico Kropp, ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

09:50 h: “New results to the ore petrography and metallogeny of the Li-Sn-greisen mineralization in the Schenkenshöhe-Hegelshöhe ore field (eastern Erzgebirge) and remarks to the Li potential of the Erzgebirge-Krušné Hory area“ (Prof. Dr. habil Thomas Seifert, M. Sc. Nikolas Trischler, TU Bergakademie Freiberg)

10:10 h: “Spodumene potential in Europe: Portugal as the main target“ (Alexandre Lima, University of Porto – FCUP)

10:30 h: ++ Coffee break ++

10:55 h: “Circular Economy approaches to lithium exploration, production and stewardship” (Prof. Dr. Frances Wall, Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter)

11:15 h: “Update and current status of the Zinnwald Lithium Project” (Anton du Plessis, Zinnwald Lithium Plc)

 

Poster Session

11:35 h: Presentation of scientific poster contributions

12:35 h: ++ Lunch break, networking ++

 

Session 3: Lithium Processing Technologies
Chair: Dr.-Ing. Tom Vöge (GRS Batterien Service GmbH)

13:45 h: Keynote “Laboratory scale pilot testing – a way to optimize LiOH•H₂O or Li₂CO₃ production from different feedstocks” (Prof. Dr. Gerald Ziegenbalg, IBZ-Salzchemie GmbH & Co. KG)

14:15 h: “Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for Inline Process Analysis and Receiving Control of Industrial Lithium” (Martin Zühlke, SECOPTA analytics GmbH)

14:35 h: “Highly-pure CO₂-based solvents for lithium batteries” (Dr. Erik Temmel, Sulzer Chemtech Ltd)

14:55 h: “PureLi – KBR’s High-Purity Lithium Production Technology” (Dr. Claudia Pudack, KBR)

15:15 h: “High Resolution at Low Cost: Novel Inexpensive Instrumentation for Tracing of Lithium Origins and for Recycling” (Jens Riedel, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung BAM)

15:35 h: ++ Coffee break ++

 

Session 4: Lithium By-products
Chair: Christian Adam (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung BAM)

16:20 h: Keynote: “By-products of Lithium refining – Zero Waste” (Dr. Adalbert Lossin, Aurubis AG)

16:50 h: “The calculation of by-products: From missing data to unknown scarcities“ Prof. Dr. Ulrich Blum, ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

17:10 h: “Waste to Value: Generating new building materials by upcycling Lithium Aluminosilicate Residues” (Max Niegisch, K-UTEC AG SALT TECHNOLOGIES)

17:30 h: “Current status on Normungs-Roadmap Bauwerke (building regulations)“ (Sebastian Edelhoff, DIN e.V.)

17:50 h: “Neue Mantelverordnung Ersatzbaustoffe” (German regulatory framework for substitutes of building materials) (Andreas Heilmann, Association of
the German Waste Management, Water and Recycling Industry, BDE)

18:15 h: ++ Dinner, Networking ++

Session 5: Secondary Raw Materials, Recycling
Chair: Harald Schmitt (Knauf Gips KG)

09:00 h (CET): Keynote “Challenges of the EU Battery Regulation to close the material cycle for Lithium“ (Tobias Schulze Wettendorf, GRS Batterien Service GmbH)

09:30 h: “Electrochemical lithium recycling through lithium iron phosphate electrodes” (Dr. Stefanie Arnold, INM – Leibnitz Institute for New Materials)

09:50 h: “Is the lithium circularity a paradox? Understanding the tensions in the lithium recycling industry in Europe“ (America Rocio Quinteros Condoretty, LUT University)

10:10 h: “New results from slag research“ (Dr. Andreas Neumann, ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

10:35 h: ++ Coffee break ++

11:00 h: Status update on Li-Cycle Magdeburg (Frank Pommerenke, Li-Cycle Germany GmbH)

11:20 h: “Development of the Bitterfeld site and friend shoring of the supply chain” (Max Fuhr, Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen GmbH)

 

Session 6: International Perspectives
Chair: Prof. Dr. Gregor Borg (ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

11:40 h: Keynote “OCP strategy on carbon neutrality“ (Bachir Mouhyi, OCP Group)

12:00 h: Guest country LithiumDays 2024/25: „The mineral resource and investment potential of Tanzania” (Augustine Ollal, Director of Policy and Planning and Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry Of Minerals of Tanzania)

12:20 h: Wrap-up (Prof. Dr. Gregor Borg, ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

12:30 h: Closing remarks, announcement LithiumDays 2024 (Prof. Dr. Ralf Wehrspohn, ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH)

12:40 h: ++ Lunch break ++

 

Satellite Conference (external event)

14:00 – 22:00 h: Satellite conference on natural resources law
Location: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Chair: Prof. Dr. Christian Tietje
For a detailed programme, click here.

Call for Papers

The call for papers for LithiumDays 2023 is now closed. Thank you for your participation!

Speakers

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.
Ulrich Blum

Managing Director German Lithium Institute GmbH; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Prof. Dr. Ralf B. Wehrspohn

Managing Director German Lithium Institute GmbH; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Prof. Dr.
Gregor Borg

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Prof. Dr.
Thomas Seifert

TU Bergakademie Freiberg

Valentin Goldberg

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Max Fuhr

Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen GmbH

Dr. Martin Zühlke

SECOPTA analytics GmbH

Prof. Frances Wall

Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter

Dr.-Ing. Julia Hobohm

Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Servicegesellschaft mbH

Dr. Stefanie Arnold

Leibniz Institute for New Materials Saarbrücken

Dr. Claudia Pudack

KBR, Inc.

Nico Kropp

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Dirk Harbecke

Rock Tech Lithium Inc.

Dr. Andreas Neumann

ITEL – Deutsches Lithiuminstitut GmbH

Georgios Chryssos

Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Servicegesellschaft mbH

Nikolas Trischler

TU Bergakademie Freiberg

About the conference venue

H+ Hotel Leipzig-Halle
Hansaplatz 1
06188 Landsberg OT Peissen
Germany

About the conference venue
As in the previous years, H+ Hotel Leipzig-Halle is our venue and reliable service partner for LithiumDays 2023. Located between the cities of Leipzig and Halle (Saale), you can conveniently reach the international airport Leipzig/Halle as well as motorways A9 and A14. 

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We have reserved a room contingent for participants of LithiumDays 2023 at H+ Hotel. If you need accommodation, please make sure to book via the ticket form.

Discover Halle (Saale)

Welcome to Halle (Saale). Look forward to a mixture of authentic big city and young art scene, award-winning theater freethought and original nightlife, creative open spaces and the coziness of a charming, compact old town. In short, when you visit the city of Handel, you will experience a unique, vibrant atmosphere that will captivate you.

Our recommendations for city discoveries after a long day of meetings can be found here:

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.

Downloads

Satellite Conference Natural Resources Law

Halle City map

Halle at one day

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