Demand for lithium skyrockets
Rio Tinto wants to invest 2.4 billion dollars in the Jadar project in western Serbia. This is probably the largest lithium reserve in Europe. Serbian lithium could be mined from 2026. Three years later, the maximum mining capacity could be reached: 58,000 tons of lithium carbonate per year.
This proceeds is mainly intended to provide European car manufacturers with batteries. These are necessary for the transition from petrol and diesel to electric. The demand for lithium is expected to be 40 times higher in 2040 than it is now.
Most lithium is now mined in Australia, Chile and China. Refining, necessary for further processing, mainly takes place in China. Although Serbia is not a member of the EU, the Jadar project fits perfectly into the Brussels energy and sustainability plans. The EU added lithium to the last year critical raw materials list, a list of commodities for which the EU is now dependent on other economic power blocs, notably China. Reducing this dependence is the spearhead of Brussels policy.
–
