Who we are
As the first independent French operator in geothermal heat and lithium, our company now brings together more than 50 passionate professionals and subsurface experts, united by a shared ambition: to actively contribute to the energy transition.
Our mission
To provide renewable, local, and low-carbon heat, while producing battery-grade, low-carbon lithium — a strategic mineral essential to the energy transition. Through our projects, we actively contribute to decarbonization, France’s energy sovereignty, and the reindustrialization of our region. By prioritizing sustainable and responsible solutions, we place the country’s energy and industrial future at the heart of our approach.
As a member of Arverne Group, a mission-driven company, we are committed to working every day toward a sustainable, sovereign, and locally rooted future by creating a new energy sector that benefits local communities.
Leadership Insight
"By choosing to establish ourselves in Haguenau, in the heart of Northern Alsace, we are contributing to write a new chapter in the region’s industrial history — a region where the first oil wells were recorded 210 years ago. Today, by using the exceptional resources of the Alsatian subsurface, we are revealing a unique potential: geothermal brines naturally rich in lithium. This strategic resource enables France to regain, at least in part, control over its energy independence and the supply of critical materials. Our commitment goes far beyond the simple production of geothermal heat and lithium. We firmly believe that our model — combining innovation, responsibility, and sustainable development — is key to addressing the energy and environmental challenges of tomorrow. At every stage of our work, we place the future of our region at the heart of our mission, while actively contributing to France’s energy sovereignty."
Guillaume Tarnaud, Director, Lithium de France
Executive Committee
Guillaume Tarnaud
Managing Director
Engineer from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers, with over 20 years of experience in the chemical and oil industries.
Jérôme Jacquemont
Chief Operating Officer
Civil mining engineer with 30 years of experience in the design and development of major projects in the energy sector.
Laurent Nicolas
Director of Subsurface
Engineer from École Polytechnique and ENSPM, with over 25 years of experience in the energy sector.
Arnaud Hannebique
Chief Financial Officer
Over 20 years of international experience in the energy industry and in leading teams within complex, high-stakes, and capital-intensive environments.
Anne Wihlidal
Human Resources Director
Engineer by training, with 25 years of experience in human resources within the energy services sector.
Our Teams
Lithium de France relies on a team of technical and scientific experts, recognized for their experience and excellence in their respective fields. Each team member shares a common ambition: to help accelerate the energy transition while supporting a forward-looking regional project through the creation of a new industrial sector.
Our vision is an integrated model, with full control over the entire value chain — from subsurface expertise to geothermal heat production and lithium extraction, including drilling and surface facility management. Our teams work in synergy to ensure operational excellence.
Subsurface Experts
Within the scope of Exclusive Prospecting Licenses (« Permis Exclusifs de Recherches ») granted by the French government, we conduct a comprehensive exploration program using the most advanced technologies for subsurface analysis. As pioneers in the development of simulation tools capable of modeling hydraulic, thermal, and geomechanical phenomena specific to Alsatian geology, we also innovate with specialized tools to analyze rock minerals and better understand the origin and concentration of lithium in certain areas.
Our Subsurface team brings together engineers, researchers and specialists, including geologists, geophysicists, seismologists, geomechanics experts, hydrogeologists, and geomatics engineers. We also work closely with research institutes and innovative companies to develop new approaches and technologies.
Drilling Experts
Our Drilling team manages all aspects of drilling engineering and operational oversight in-house, ensuring full project control over well construction. We design the wells, identify the necessary equipment and services, and supervise drilling operations continuously — all while strictly adhering to safety, hygiene, and environmental standards. At every stage, safety and performance optimization are our top priorities.
Many of our drilling experts have extensive international experience in the oil and gas industry. Collectively, they bring nearly 150 years of professional expertise.
Surface Facilities Experts
Our Surface team consists of specialists in process and industrial building construction, electrical systems, and automation, all with backgrounds in the renewable energy sector. Their mission is to build facilities that connect the wells and circulate underground hot water to extract its heat.
This local, non-intermittent, renewable, low-carbon, and high-efficiency energy is intended to supply existing or future district heating networks, industrial sites, agricultural operations, and more. It represents a true asset for the region, ensuring stable-cost heat supply — both for residents connected to heating networks and for industrial and agricultural users, who gain competitiveness by controlling their production costs.
Geothermal Lithium Experts
Our Lithium Process division, composed of industrial process engineers, chemical process engineers, and chemical engineers, designs, tests, and demonstrates lithium extraction and conversion processes to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate. By selecting the best Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies, we ensure optimal results tailored to the specific characteristics of Alsatian geothermal brines.
The Execution division, working closely with the Process and Surface teams, handles all detailed engineering and oversees the construction of lithium extraction facilities through to commissioning. It ensures safety, environmental compliance, equipment procurement, subcontracting of construction contracts, cost and schedule tracking, and risk management related to industrialization.
Cross-Functional Teams
Our cross-functional teams cover finance, human resources, communications, information systems, procurement, and business development. Coming primarily from the industrial and energy sectors, their industry expertise and hands-on experience help optimize our processes and develop innovative strategies in support of Lithium de France’s project.
Want to Join Us?
A Subsidiary of Arverne Group, a Mission-Driven Company
Arverne Group, the majority shareholder of Lithium de France, specializes in using the natural resources of the subsurface to transform them into sustainable solutions for industries and local communities. Geothermal energy is a low-carbon, local, renewable, and non-intermittent energy source that supports regional prosperity.
As a fully integrated industrial player — from exploration and drilling to production and sales to end users — Arverne Group operates across the entire value chain with the goal of becoming France’s leading provider of geothermal energy and its by-products, including low-carbon geothermal lithium.
Lithium de France benefits from synergies with other Arverne Group subsidiaries and from comprehensive expertise in subsurface and drilling operations.
Our drilling operations are carried out in close collaboration with our sister company, Arverne Drilling Services (originally founded as Cofor over half a century ago). With more than 1,000 wells drilled worldwide and over 60 years of experience, Arverne Drilling Services now operates in deep geothermal and underground storage across France and Europe. The company holds triple ISO certification — ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), and ISO 9001 (quality management systems) — and has been awarded a Silver Medal by EcoVadis.
