- Title: Rio Tinto-led plan for major lithium mine stirs protests in Serbia
- Date: 26th August 2021
- Summary: NEAR LOZNICA, SERBIA (AUGUST 9, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF AREA (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF VILLAGE WITH HOUSES AND WOODEN FENCE WITH SIGN (Serbian) READING: "NO (TO) MINE, YES (TO) LIFE" (MUTE) VARIOUS OF FARMER AND PROPERTY OWNER DJORDJE KAPETANOVIC, FEEDING COWS (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) FARMER FROM KORENICA NEAR LOZNICA, DJORDJE KAPETANOVIC, SAYING: "We've got to know
- Embargoed: 9th September 2021 10:05
- Keywords: Lithium Rio Tinto Serbia energy pollution water pollution
- Location: BELGRADE, NEAR LOZNICA, SABAC, BREZJAK, SERBIA
- City: BELGRADE, NEAR LOZNICA, SABAC, BREZJAK, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Environment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001ERX4HTL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Four years from now, fields in the Jadar river valley in western Serbia where Djorjde Kapetanovic grows corn and soy to feed his cattle will be turned into a waste dump for Europe's biggest lithium mine.
Rio Tinto in July committed $2.4 billion (2 million euros) to its Jadar project as global miners push into metals needed for the green energy transition, including lithium, which is used to make electric vehicle batteries. The Jadar project, once completed, would help make Rio a top 10 lithium producer, just as demand for EVs booms.
Opposition to the project is growing, however, because of concerns about possible environmental damage and protest rallies have become more frequent. In April, thousands gathered in Belgrade to protest against widespread pollution in the Balkan country and the lithium mine near Loznica, 142 km (88 miles) southwest of the capital.
Once it reaches full capacity, the mine is expected to produce 58,000 tonnes of refined battery-grade lithium carbonate per year. That would make it Europe's biggest lithium mine in terms of production, Rio Tinto said.
In the village of Korenita, dairy farmer Kapetanovic said the mine, if opened, could leave him without income. Part of his land where he grows crops to feed his animals will be turned into a dump for mining waste, known as tailings, with compensation from the company.
Other areas of his land, his house, and a cattle shed will be outside the mine, leaving Kapetanovic worried about exposure to possible pollution.
"Who would want to buy products made on the outskirts of the mine?" said Kapetanovic, who produces 10 tonnes (22,000 lb) of meat and 90,000 liters (23,775 gallons) of milk per year, making him one of the bigger producers in the Loznica area.
One other major concern for environmentalists is Rio's plan to put waste dumps in the Korenita and Jadar rivers valley.
Marija Alimpic, a member of an association opposing the project pointed out this area is prone to flash flooding. In 2014, Korenita river flooding caused a closed mine's tailings dam to overflow, spilling toxic waste onto agricultural land.
Rio Tinto said it planned to convert the liquid waste into "dry cakes" to make it easier and safer to store and is planning for once-in-a-millennium floods in its construction.
The company's Serbia CEO Vesna Prodanovic said the Anglo-Australian miner would meet all European Union and Serbian environmental regulations, including on the treatment of wastewater. She added the company takes into account "everything there is in the field" and also precipitation and prescribed dust levels.
One study, commissioned by Rio Tinto on the mine's environmental impact, concluded the mine should not be built as it will cause "irredeemable damage to the biosphere," an abstract obtained by Reuters found.
Ratko Ristic, dean of Belgrade Univesity's faculty of forestry said the underground reserves of water in the area would be polluted by dangerous toxic and carcinogenic metals.
Lithium is central to the European Union's plans to secure an entire supply chain of battery minerals and materials as the use of electric vehicles increases.
Serbia, which sits on the world's 11th largest lithium reserves, is working its way through the accession process to join the EU.
Rio said the project would create about 2,100 construction jobs and inject approximately 200 million euros ($235.32 million) per year into the domestic supply chain.
Prodanovic added the company's studies estimated the project would add 1 percentage point to Serbia's $51.4 billion annual GDP. It would also boost Loznica's municipal budget by 60-70% annually, she said.
(Production: Hedy Beloucif, Branko Filipovic, Fedja Grulovic, Ivana Sekularac, Aleksandar Vasovic) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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