We are pleased to invite you to the webinar “Pilot Plant for Extracting Critical Raw Materials from Geothermal”.
Discover how the FluMex mini-plant, developed within the CRM-geothermal project, was tested under real geothermal conditions at the Cornish Lithium site in United Downs, Cornwall, UK.
The webinar will provide an introduction to the CRM-geothermal project and its objectives, followed by an overview of the FluMex pilot plant, its design and operating principle, and insights from its field testing for lithium extraction from geothermal brine. The webinar will also explore the costs and economic benefits of combined extraction, providing perspectives on the potential deployment of the technology.
Join us to explore the technical potential of the FluMex technology, lessons learned from its operation under real geothermal conditions, and the economic considerations for future deployment.
Date: 28 October 2026
Time: 11:00 – 12:00
Agenda & Presentations
- ≈ 11:00 – 11:05: Welcome by host Pavlos Tyrologou (EFG).
- ≈ 11:05 – 11:20: “CRM-geothermal Project Introduction” & QA Session by Simona Regenspurg (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences).
- ≈ 11:20 – 11:40: “FluMex Pilot Plant: Demonstrating Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brine” & QA Session by Karen Silgado (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences).
- ≈ 11:40 – 12:00: “Costs and economic benefits of all aspects of combined extraction at the mini-plant site” & QA Session by W. Eberhard Falck (INTRAW).
- ≈ 12:00: Closing remarks by host Pavlos Tyrologou (EFG).
Speakers
- Dr Pavlos Tyrologou (EFG) – Moderator
Dr. Pavlos Tyrologou has built a versatile international career of over 20 years, combining expertise in geology, environmental geotechnical engineering, project management, and expert witness roles. His work spans diverse sectors, including public infrastructure, natural hazards, and environmental management, with significant project contributions worldwide.
He holds a PhD in Environmental Geotechnical Engineering from Imperial College London, complemented by an MSc and BSc in Engineering Geology. His technical expertise includes groundwater, contaminated land, and underground hydrogen storage, while his broader skill set covers business development, strategic planning, governance, and project management methodologies. Since 2017, Dr. Tyrologou has contributed extensively to the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CE.R.T.H), where he has taken leadership roles in EU-funded projects.
Beyond his institutional role, he has shown strong leadership and vision through his 15-year engagement with the European Federation of Geologists (EFG). Currently, he serves as Chair of the Advisory Board and Project Advisor for EFG.
- Dr Simona Regenspurg (GFZ) – Speaker
Prof. Simona has been working as a research associate at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, in the Section Geoenergy, since 2009. She is head of the working group “Geothermal Fluids”. The focus of her research is on the study of geochemical processes that take place during the operation of geothermal plants. These include reactions under increased pressure and temperature conditions, interactions between water and rock and their effects on the environment. Simona studied geology/hydrogeology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany, and completed research stays in the USA (Colorado School of Mines, Golden), Sweden (Royal University of Technology (KTH), Stockholm) and Switzerland (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL). She is habilitated and teaches at the Free University of Berlin.
- Karen Silgado (GFZ) – Speaker
Karen Silgado-Correa is a chemical engineer and doctoral researcher at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany. Within the EU-funded CRM-geothermal project at GFZ, part of her work focuses on the design of a miniplant to extract lithium from geothermal brine, combining experimentation with numerical modelling. She is pursuing her PhD at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and holds an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Campinas, Brazil, and a B.Sc. from the University of San Buenaventura, Colombia.
- W. Eberhard Falck (INTRAW) – Speaker
W. Eberhard Falck was trained as a geologist at the University of Kiel (DE) and the ETH Zürich (CH). He obtained his PhD in environmental geochemistry from the Technical University of Darmstadt (DE). Stations of his professional career included the British Geological Survey, consultancy companies in Italy, Germany and the UK, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, Vienna, AT), the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Petten (NL), and professorships at the Université de Versailles – Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and the Ecole des Mines Nantes (now IMT Atlantique, FR).
He has been a founding member on the board of the INTRAW International Raw Materials Observatory and its president for the past four years.
His area of work includes mineral raw materials supply issues, minerals policy advice to the European Commission and the European Parliament, mining legacy management, and knowledge co-creation through stakeholder involvement.
