Name of the Project
Jadar lithium-borates project.

Location
Near the City of Loznica, western Serbia.

Project Owner/s
Rio Tinto.

Project Description
Jadar is touted to be one of the biggest industrial investments in Serbia.

The project proposes to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate, a critical mineral used in large-scale batteries for electric vehicles, and in storing renewable energy, and will position Rio Tinto as the biggest source of lithium supply in Europe for at least 15 years.

The project is also expected to produce borates, which are used in solar panels and wind turbines. The development is expected to include an underground mine with associated infrastructure and equipment, as well as electric haul trucks and a beneficiation chemical processing plant.

Following ramp-up to full production, the mine would produce about 58 000 t/y of lithium carbonate, 160 000 t/y of boric acid and 255 000 t/y of sodium sulphate, making Rio Tinto one of the top ten lithium producers in the world. Based on this yearly production of lithium carbonate, Rio Tinto aims to produce 2.3-million tonnes of lithium carbonate over the expected 40-year life-of-mine.

Potential Job Creation
The project will create 2 100 jobs during construction, and 1 000 mining and processing jobs once in production.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
$2.4-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
First saleable production is expected in 2027, with full production expected in 2029.

Latest Developments
Rio Tinto continues to believe that the Jadar project has the potential to be a world-class lithium-borates asset, which could act as a catalyst for the development of other industries and create thousands of jobs for current and future generations in Serbia. 

The decision that allowed for the reinstatement of the spatial plan for the project by Serbia's Constitutional Court in July this year has been followed by the application process to obtain the exploitation field licence (EFL); a submission is planned for December 2024. 

The EFL is essential to start fieldwork, including detailed geotechnical investigations, while cultural heritage and environmental surveys have resumed. The environmental-impact assessment process has also started, with scoping and content for the mine currently under public consultation. This step formalises discussions through legally mandated consultations, which the project supports, to encourage an open, fact-based dialogue.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Rio Tinto (Serbia), tel +381 15 872 834.