While many in Serbia have been protesting for weeks against a potential lithium mine in Jadar, fearing it could devastate the environment and public health, the global search for this pale alkali metal continues unabated.
Somewhat paradoxically, lithium is needed by the European Union precisely for the “green transition,” aimed at reducing the impact of industry on climate change.
Due to its broad application in the automotive industry, which aims to become more environmentally friendly, many countries like Germany are working to produce and process lithium domestically.
“There is currently no lithium mining or processing in Germany, but at least three projects have been developed, and production will begin in the near future. Processing will, for example, start at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025,” says Michael Schmidt, a geologist at Germany’s Mineral Resources Agency (DERA).
AMG Lithium Refinery, one of the largest in Europe, could start processing lithium in eastern Germany this year.
Lithium in rocks and underground waters
The other two “advanced” projects in Germany are dedicated to lithium production, the geologist stated in a written response to BBC Serbian.
One is a project by Vulcan Energy Resources in the Upper Rhine Valley, in the southwest of the country, where lithium could be extracted from underground water.
The other is a deposit in the Ore Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, where lithium is found in hard rocks, and the project is led by the company Cinvald.
These are not the only lithium explorations in Germany, but they are the most developed.
“Obtaining lithium from deep geothermal brine will be a ‘byproduct’ of thermal and electric energy production and is therefore associated with the challenges related to these technologies. Mining lithium from the Ore Mountains will be more traditional mining,” says Schmidt.
Near the German town of Cinvald and the Czech town of Cinovec, close to the interstate border, work is being done on a lithium mining project in the heart of the European chemical and automotive industries.
“All projects are subject to strict requirements to adhere to environmental and safety standards defined by German laws and regulatory institutions,” the geologist adds.
Cinvald previously predicted it would produce 12,000 tons annually at first, but in July, it announced it would produce significantly more—between 16,000 and 18,000 tons. Cinvald thus became the second-largest hard rock lithium mining project in the European Union and the third in Europe.
A lithium project is also being developed in the Upper Rhine Valley in the southwest of the country.
Residents of this area are concerned about the expansion of the project because, about ten years ago, during geothermal source testing, the ground trembled, as reported by Politico last year.
In the meantime, technology has advanced, and Vulcan Energy, led by Australian and German geologists, aims to be the first to obtain lithium with “zero carbon dioxide,” fulfilling the dream of completely green electric cars.
“That’s why we don’t just use hot water as an energy source, but we also use a unique process to filter lithium from cooled water.”
Europe is heavily dependent on China when it comes to lithium, essential for manufacturing batteries for electric cars and mobile phones, and aims to change that.
“At this moment, 20 lithium exploration projects are underway in Europe, at various stages. The most advanced are in Serbia, France, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria,” says the German geologist.
Most European projects aim to start production between 2026 and 2032, he adds. “However, it’s difficult to say which of these projects is more advanced, as they differ in size, ownership, locations, and legal frameworks,” Schmidt explains.
The Serbia Case
The Rio Tinto project in western Serbia is considered in the latest report from the German agency DERA as one of the scenarios for supplying Europe with lithium by 2030.
“Political developments in Serbia should be closely monitored,” the document states.
“At this moment, it is impossible to predict whether and to what extent the mining company Rio Tinto will be able to further develop the Jadar project, important for lithium and boron. The project itself would be significant in terms of potential supply to the European market,” the German agency’s report notes.
Rio Tinto has “released publicly available information and data related to environmental issues (water usage, waste disposal, land use, and more) and obtaining permits,” Schmidt recalls.
“We are not familiar with the specific details, laws, and procedures in the country, but state agencies and institutions will be responsible for overseeing this project, as well as other projects in the country. This must be done in accordance with the rules and regulations, as well as the standards of all stakeholders,” says Schmidt.
However, he diplomatically responds to the question of whether he would support a project like Jadar in Germany.
“To reduce Europe’s dependence on importing critical raw materials, it is imperative to find, develop, and utilize potential European sources. This would also help minimize the environmental impact during production, as the materials wouldn’t have to travel long distances, for example.”
How is it globally?
Lithium production, as well as lithium battery production, is not widespread globally but is concentrated in certain places around the world.
Most lithium comes from Australia, primarily from rocks. Then come Chile with 25% and China with 13% of the world’s lithium production. The only country producing lithium in Europe is Portugal, with 1%, mainly for ceramics. Most lithium batteries are produced in China—76%.
Source : Danas
