Germany Strikes Lithium Gold: One of the World’s Largest Deposits Discovered

Giant Lithium Field Discovered in Germany
One of the Largest in the World Energy company “Neptune Energy” confirmed the discovery of a giant lithium reservoir totaling 43 million tons in one of Germany’s regions.
The deposit, located in Altmark, an area with a 55-year tradition of natural gas production, has been declared one of the largest lithium reserves in the world.

Neptune Energy, a UK-based oil and gas exploration and production company, recently revealed that Germany holds one of the largest lithium reserves in the world.
According to estimates, it amounts to 43 million tons equivalent lithium carbonate (LCE), determined after the company commissioned the independent international assessment agency Sproule ERCE to conduct an official survey of the resource in the Altmark area of northern Saxony-Anhalt, a region known for 55 years of natural gas production.

Until now, the basin was mainly known for its giant natural gas field, once one of the largest in Europe.
Neptune Energy and previous companies have extracted natural gas there since 1969. Now, new geological data show that the underground brines in the massive “Rotliegend” gas field are also very rich in lithium.
The figure of 43 million tons LCE positions the deposit as one of the largest lithium reserves in the world at a project level.

For comparison, the “Lithium Triangle” in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile) holds about 50 million tons of the metal, representing 53% of global lithium resources.
The confirmed figure in Germany establishes it as a significant player in the market.
The discovery led Neptune Energy to shift its focus from fossil fuels to clean highly sought after battery raw materials.
Instead of relying on traditional mining methods that harm the environment, such as open pit mining or evaporation ponds, the company is now deploying a process called Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE).
This technique aims to minimize land use and environmental impact and relies on sophisticated adsorption and ion exchange processes to separate lithium from the solutions.


Currently, Neptune Energy holds the Jeetze-L production license and three lithium exploration licenses in the Altmark area.
If the required mining approvals are obtained, the company plans to move to a demonstration facility before full commercial operations.
By adopting the DLE method Neptune Energy positions Germany as a pioneer in green and sustainable extraction methods, potentially strengthening Europe’s battery supply chain.
Economic and Strategic Significance: European Independence and Electric Vehicle Revolution The discovery of such a large lithium reserve in central Germany carries major economic and strategic significance for Europe.

The massive lithium reserves are expected to reduce dependence on imported critical raw materials, particularly from China, which currently dominates most of the global battery supply chain.
Germany, home to leading automotive manufacturers, will become a key and reliable player in supplying raw materials for the green energy and electric transport industry in Europe.
The project symbolizes Germany’s shift from the gas era to the era of future raw materials, as well as Europe’s transition.