Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said she does not see a chance of reviving Rio Tinto’s $2.4 billion lithium-borates project after licences were revoked in January following massive protests sparked by environmental concerns, reported Reuters.
“I don’t see any possibility to revive the Jadar project,” Brnabic was quoted by the Nova S news portal.
She went on to note that “lithium is the biggest development opportunity for Serbia,” and a public debate about the matter will be necessary.
Reuters said environmentalists collected 30,000 signatures in a petition demanding that parliament enact legislation to halt lithium exploration in the country. A debate on the issue has not been held yet.
If completed, the Jadar project could supply 90% of Europe’s current lithium needs and help make Rio Tinto a top 10 lithium producer.
Source: Reuters