Serbia: Protests over Lithium Mining

Government of Serbia revoked the licenses for lithium mining to Rio Tinto, after protests for around two months. Rio Tinto is an Anglo-Australian multinational mining organisation.

Highlights

• Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic have fulfilled all the demands from environmental protests and have put an end to Rio Tinto in the country.
• All the licences linked to lithium project had been declared invalid and it was an end for the project.

What were the reasons for protests?

Serbians have been protesting against the Rio Tinto’s plan to mine lithium, in Jadar Valley near Lozinca town in Serbia. People are taking to the streets, blocking main roads and bridges and halting traffic.

Rio Tinto Plan

Rio Tinto had discovered lithium deposits in 2006, in Serbia and had bought land in Lozinca area. The company had been planning to invest USD 2.4 billion in the project. If completed, the project would be one of the biggest investment projects in the country.

Significance of the project

The mine would have produced enough lithium, for operating one million electric vehicles along with sodium sulphate and boric acid. Once it is fully functional, mine would have created 58,000 tonnes of refined battery-grade lithium carbonate, annually. This would have made the mine, Europe’s most lithium-producing mine.

What are the concerns of protestors?

Though, Rio Tinto said to be fulfilling all Serbia’s and European Union’s environmental standards. But protestors have been highlighting that, lithium mining in USD 2.4-billion mine project would irrevocably pollute the drinking water. They are also protesting against President Aleksandar Vucic, who called China to be a “saviour” for its copper mining projects in Serbia.

Pollution in Serbia

Serbia has been ranked as Europe’s fifth and world’s 32nd most polluted country among 98 countries. As per 2019 report of Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Serbia is one among top ten countries with most deaths due to pollution, accounting for 175 deaths per 100,000.