Lithium Mining

The Serbia government has revoked the licenses for lithium mining to Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian multinational mining organisation, following protests for nearly two months.

Serbians have been protesting against Rio Tinto’s plans to mine lithium in the Jadar valley near Lozinca town in the country.

Rio Tinto had discovered lithium deposits in the country in 2006 and had bought land in the Lozinca area in Serbia the mine would have produced enough lithium to operate one million electric vehicles along with boric acid and sodium sulphate.

While Rio Tinto has said to be fulfilling all Serbia’s and European Union’s environmental standards, protestors have been pointing out that lithium mining in the $2.4-billion project would irrevocably pollute the drinking water.

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Serbian capital Belgrade is surrounded by lignite mines and coal power plants powered by these mines, which only make the pollution worse.

First traces of Lithium in India were discovered in Karnataka’s Mandya district recently. The preliminary find is relatively small: a mere 1,600 tonnes of lithium deposits. Chile, on the other hand, has an estimated reserves of 9.2 million tonnes.

If oil powered the world in the 20th century, Lithium could play the same role in the 21st century. Naturally, even a small find commands great importance.

Echoing a similar sentiment, the discovery is being given importance at the highest levels of government.

This also shows the amount of effort and investment that lithium is likely to garner in the years ahead.