Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto has announced that newly published environmental studies show its Serbia lithium project, the $2.4 billion Jadar project, would be safe for the environment. The project was stopped in 2022 after massive protests from environmental groups and local communities.
In a statement, Rio’s Serbian unit said the “results of scientific research show that the Jadar project can be realised safely by respecting highest domestic and international environmental standards.” The company made the environmental studies public on Thursday.
If implemented, the Jadar project could cover 90% of Europe’s current lithium needs and help make Rio Tinto a leading lithium producer. Lithium is a critical material, largely used in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and mobile devices.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in January that authorities wanted to hold further talks with Rio about the project and welcomed public discussion on whether it should go ahead. The project’s license was revoked in 2022, just ahead of the country’s general elections, after a 30,000-signatures petition from environmental groups and local communities.
Green activists argue the open-cast mine will pollute the water supply and cause more environmental damage in Serbia, which is already one of Europe’s most polluted countries.
Rio’s representative in Serbia, Marijanti Babic, said the company had published the studies in order to “renew a public dialogue” about the project and give the local community and interested parties a chance to see what had been done so far.
The publication of the environmental studies is Rio Tinto’s latest effort to address concerns and restart the Jadar lithium project, which is seen as crucial for Europe’s transition to EVs and renewable energy.