Lithium de France starts geothermal well testing at Schwabwiller site in Alsace
Geothermal drilling operations at the Schwabwiller site in Alsace, France (source: Lithium de France)
Carlo Cariaga
3 Mar 2026
The geothermal heating and lithium project of Lithium de France in Alsace, France has now moved to the well testing phase following drilling of the first well.
Well testing has begun for the first exploratory geothermal well drilled by Lithium de France at the Schwabwiller site in the Bas-Rhin Department of Alsace, France. This phase will last between three to five weeks and will serve to validate the potential of the resource for geothermal heat and lithium production.
Drilling at the Schwabwiller site started in November 2025, targeting a depth of about 2400 meters. The project calls for the drilling of a doublet which will have a spacing of about 1000 meters at depth. Drilling operations is expected to take a total of seven months.
If results are positive, the Lithium de France project is expected to supply geothermal heat to businesses, farms, and local communities in northern Alsace. Moreover, lithium extraction from geothermal brines will produce lithium with a reduced environmental footprint. This translates to about 70% less CO2 emissions compared to the lithium currently available in the market.
The well testing phase will allow the developer to validate the pressure and temperature of the thermal fluids, as well as the lithium extraction process. The communications office of the Outre-Forêt region has informed the nearby communities that a visible plume of steam will be released during the testing process, and that some noise may be heard. To minimize disruption, the operations will only be done during the day.
A monitoring committee for deep geothermal projects in the Bas-Rhin department had recently been created, following a series of microseismic events. These had been linked to the operations of the Rittershoffen geothermal heating plant, which had been offered to be shut down in December 2025 by a prefectural order. The monitoring committee brings together representatives from environmental associations, operators, and local governments to allow for complete transparency on risks associated with deep geothermal operations.
Source: DNA.fr and Le Journal de Montreal
