Essen, 15 July 2026 – DMT, a company of 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 provides a sound basis for investment decisions that can strengthen the supply of raw materials to Germany and Europe.
The German Raw Materials Fund was set up 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 administered 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 audit process. KfW acts as the mandate holder for the raw materials fund and, as such, manages investments and portfolio 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 under review 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, combined with the supply of heat and electricity to the region. It is the first project for which support from the German Raw Materials Fund has been announced. DMT conducted the technical due diligence for this project and is monitoring its progress through technical assessments of defined milestones. Furthermore, DMT is involved in further 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 to infrastructure, logistics and implementation concepts, and extending to investment and operating costs, production volumes, ramp-up and plant availability. The findings are incorporated into technical assessments, recommendations and risk assessments.
“In technical due diligence, we bring together different technical perspectives to form a robust overall picture. We examine the data set, assess process sequences, engineering, cost and time assumptions, amongst other things, and classify risks from a technical perspective.
Particularly in the case of complex raw material projects, this interdisciplinary approach is essential for identifying strengths, outstanding issues and potential risks, and for demonstrating how investment risks can be effectively mitigated,” says Julia Ridder, Project Manager for Technical Due Diligence for Raw Materials Funds at DMT.
“With the German Raw Materials Fund, a strategically important instrument has been established to support the targeted implementation of strategically relevant raw materials projects,” 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 instrument for strengthening Germany’s security of supply with critical raw materials, but also an important building block for broad-based, long-term European cooperation in the raw materials sector and beyond. This requires projects across the entire value chain, reliable partnerships and a sound technical assessment.”
