Power Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic instructed Reuters that the miner must safe approvals to maneuver in direction of manufacturing on the web site, which can hinge on its environmental affect research. She famous that the venture was one of many largest by licensed reserve, amounting to 158 million tonnes — equal to 17% of Europe’s whole lithium reserves.
“How shortly we’ll proceed is right down to us. We have now already misplaced two years. We may have been the primary on this race,” Handanovic mentioned.
If accomplished, the Jadar venture would have the ability to produce 58,000 tonnes of refined battery-grade lithium carbonate per 12 months — sufficient to energy a million electrical autos and provide 90% of the continent’s present lithium wants. It might additionally propel Rio Tinto onto the record of the highest 10 world lithium producers.
Just lately, the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, acknowledged that lithium mining wouldn’t happen till ensures are obtained from the world’s greatest specialists.
“There can be no digging, no adjustments within the subject, nor will there be. Till we get all of the ensures ourselves, nothing will occur within the subsequent 12 to 18 months,” Vučić mentioned.
Final month, Serbia, the European Union and Germany signed agreements granting EU members and a number of the continent’s most essential carmakers unique entry to Serbian lithium. The agreements, protecting sustainable uncooked supplies and battery provide chains, got here solely every week after Serbia’s prime courtroom dominated the 2022 resolution to revoke the Jadar venture licence was unconstitutional.
1000’s took to the streets throughout Serbia final week to protest in opposition to the venture. A brand new main protest is scheduled for Saturday within the capital, Belgrade.
Handanovic questioned the protesters’ motives and mentioned the demonstrations aimed extra at difficult the federal government.
“The arguments offered are geared toward destroying order on the streets below the guise of concern for ecology,” the minister mentioned.
She additionally mentioned the venture would assist Serbia, which has mineral assets together with copper, zinc, lead, gold and lithium, entry technical know-how.
(With recordsdata from Reuters)