The arrival of a large lithium mine in western Serbia has been canceled for the time being. The government has revoked licenses granted to British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto.
Demonstrations lasted for weeks against the arrival of the mine. Thousands of people took to the streets and blocked roads. The demonstrators demanded the departure of Rio Tinto and an end to the plans. Environmental groups fear water and environmental pollution in the Jadar Valley due to the mine’s arrival in Serbia, which is already one of the most polluted countries in Europe.
Rio Tinto says it is disappointed and is investigating whether it is legal to withdraw the permits. The mining company planned to extract lithium from the mine from 2027 and wanted to invest 2.1 billion euros. Lithium is an important element for the construction of batteries, for example for electric cars.
Correspondent David Jan Godfroid visited concerned residents of the mine in October:
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