German Commodities Fund: DMT GROUP carries out technical due diligence on commodities projects
Essen, 15 July 2026 – DMT, a company within the TÜV NORD GROUP, is undertaking technical due diligence on selected raw materials projects involving the extraction and processing of critical raw materials as part of the German Raw Materials Fund. The technical assessment focuses on feasibility, readiness for implementation, key project risks and appropriate risk mitigation measures. In doing so, DMT is creating a robust basis for investment decisions that can strengthen the supply of raw materials to Germany and Europe.
Essen, 15 July 2026 – DMT, a company of the TÜV NORD GROUP, is undertaking the technical due diligence of selected raw materials projects involving the extraction and processing of critical raw materials as part of the German Raw Materials Fund. The technical assessment focuses on feasibility, readiness for implementation, key project risks and appropriate risk mitigation measures. In doing so, DMT creates a sound basis for decision-making regarding investments that can strengthen the supply of raw materials to Germany and Europe.
The German Raw Materials Fund was established by the Federal Government to secure long-term access to critical raw materials, reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen the competitiveness of German and European industry. The fund is managed by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). Funding is provided for projects in Germany and abroad that can contribute to Germany’s security of supply of critical raw materials. Technical due diligence forms part of a comprehensive, collaborative overall assessment. KfW acts as the fund manager for the Raw Materials Fund and, as such, carries out investments and investment management on behalf of the Federal Government. The audit and consultancy firm PwC Germany (PwC), as the lead due diligence provider, is responsible for the overall coordination of the due diligence process and also carries out the commercial, financial, tax and legal due diligence. As a key part of this process, DMT carries out the technical due diligence and assesses the projects in terms of, amongst other things, technical viability, project implementation, process chains, infrastructure, cost assumptions and technical risks.
Among the projects reviewed is Vulcan Energy’s domestic Lionheart project in the Upper Rhine Graben. The project involves the production of lithium hydroxide monohydrate from geothermal brine for the battery industry, whilst also supplying heat and electricity to the region. It is the first project for which support from the German Raw Materials Fund has been announced. DMT carried out the technical due diligence for this project and is monitoring its progress through technical reviews of defined milestones. Furthermore, DMT is involved in other technical due diligence processes within the framework of the German Raw Materials Fund. Depending on the project, DMT’s technical due diligence covers the key technical fundamentals and factors – ranging from geology, mining and processing, through infrastructure, logistics and implementation concepts, to investment and operating costs, production volumes, ramp-up and plant availability. The results are incorporated into technical assessments, recommendations and risk evaluations.
“In our technical due diligence, we bring together different technical perspectives to form a robust overall picture. We examine the data set, evaluate process chains, engineering, cost and time assumptions, amongst other things, and classify technical risks from a specialist perspective. Particularly in the case of complex commodities projects, this interplay of disciplines is crucial for making strengths, outstanding issues and potential risks transparent, and for demonstrating how investment risks can be specifically reduced,” says Julia Ridder, Project Manager for Technical Due Diligence for the Commodities Fund at DMT. “The German Commodities Fund has created an important instrument for strategically implementing relevant commodities projects in a targeted manner,” says Jens-Peter Lux, Managing Director of DMT GROUP. “Similar approaches are emerging or already exist in other European countries – for example, through funds, guarantees, support programmes or raw materials partnerships. The fund is therefore not only a key measure for ensuring national security of supply with critical raw materials, but also a building block for broad-based and long-term European cooperation in the raw materials sector and far beyond. This requires projects across the entire value chain, reliable partnerships and a sound technical assessment.”