Demostat: Govt’s condition for lithium mining is construction of battery factory

NEWS 04.12.202216:12 0 komentara
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If lithium mining is allowed in Serbia, the Government will set as a condition the construction of a battery factory and an electric car factory, said the research and publishing centre Demostat, referring to its sources.

“Serbia will not allow the lithium mining just to export it to other countries. There are no guarantees that cooperation with Rio Tinto will be abandoned, but the possibility is open that the state will find a new partner whose reputation is not damaged, as in the case of the British-Australian corporation, which faced several accusations of destroying the environment on a global level,” the centre said.

Before the project comes to life, according to Demostat, the company that will work on it will have to submit an environmental impact assessment study, which should present relevant data collected by credible institutions on the assessment of the impact on nature in the Jadar valley and beyond.

“The state did not give up on lithium mining at any time, but stopped the project because of the April elections. Now the public is slowly preparing for the revival of the ore mining project in the fertile region of western Serbia, which was objected by a large number of citizens at the end of last year,” the statement added.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, American companies that produce batteries and electric cars have been interested in investing in Serbia, and one of them is Rivian, a manufacturer of electric adventure vehicles, which announced in September that it would open a research and development centre in Belgrade.

Demostat’s sources point out that this is the main condition of the state to enter the lithium mining project, and as they pointed out, the state would not agree to a contract that would mean lithium mining in Serbia and then exporting it to be further processed in another country.

“Serbia will ask for the opening of factories for the production of batteries and electric cars,” according to Demostat.

As explained, if it is not Rio Tinto, there are interested companies from China and Germany, which could offer to close the entire circle of production.

“This means that both of them have the possibility to invest in a lithium battery factory and a plant for the production of electric cars that use such batteries in addition to the mine,” Demostat said.

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