@q1w2 , I think a (s)melter is needed for roasting the lithium out of Spodumene (=hard rock), and not for Vulcans "DLE"-direct lithium extraction?
Savannah Resources in Portugal, and European Metals Holding on the German/Czech border, are 2 hard rock-mines who could need such a smelter. Why? Nowadays 100% of smelting factories are in China and EU wants locally produced Lithium. An example how it works today: Galaxie Resources mines in Australia, then ships the raw ores to China to be roasted with their coalpowered factories, then ships the end-product to Europe. That is not an ecological process. Thus, the Rock Tech plant would make sure the european mined rocks do not need to be roasted in China but can be roasted in Europe. This will be a very profitable plant.
Vulcan is a DLE-project, using geothermal energy, producing in the eu-greendeal-money-area (1,5 Trillion euro); a much greener process. I don't think they need a smelter as they use another process making the lithium.
Could someone with technical knowledge confirm or correct my story? I like to learn!
(20min delay)