An Overview of Lithium Prospectivity in the Permian Rotliegend Sandstones of the North German Basin

Despite containing less than 3% of global lithium resources, Europe is expected to become one of the largest consumers, driven by the transition to electric mobility and renewable energy technologies. This has prompted technology companies across the EU to explore domestic lithium sources, including geothermal brines. In Germany, high-lithium geothermal fluids (>100 mg/L) have been identified in the Upper Rhine Graben, North German Basin (NGB), Southwestern Molasse Basin, and Thuringian Basin. Early pilot plants in the URG have demonstrated the feasibility of direct lithium extraction (DLE), with exploration now expanding into the NGB, particularly targeting the Permian Rotliegend sandstones, which exhibit lithium concentrations up to 400 mg/L. The Rotliegend sandstone successions provide favorable porosity and permeability for hydrocarbon accumulation, although their heterogeneity limits consistent geothermal-lithium exploitation. The Geothermal Forum Lower Saxony, in collaboration with LBEG, has identified potentially repurposable wells in the NGB that could serve as starting points for combined lithium and heat recovery. Future work should focus on site-specific analyses, accounting for local stress fields, fault and fracture networks, hydrogeology, and economic and environmental constraints. Such targeted investigations are essential to translate theoretical resource potential into practical, sustainable lithium supply solutions supporting Europe’s energy transition.