Name of the Project
Jadar lithium-borates project.

Location
Near the City of Loznica, western Serbia.

Project Owner/s
International mining company 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
The European Commission recognised the Jadar project among 13 new strategic projects related to critical raw materials in Third World countries on June 4. The project, submitted by Rio Tinto, has still not been approved by the Serbian government. The project cannot be recognised as strategic by the European Commission without the consent of the Serbian authorities.

“The selected strategic projects will benefit from coordinated support by the commission, member States and financial institutions in the form of facilitating access to finance and contacts with relevant off-takers”, the European Commission has said.

Reacting to the decision, Rio Tinto has stated that “this confirms that the project can be developed according to the EU standards”.

“This decision further confirms that the Jadar project meets standards of technical feasibility, as well as environmental protection, social responsibility and governance”, web portal European Western Balkans quoted Rio Tinto as saying. 

Opposition parties, which have all expressed opposition to the project, have criticised the commission’s decision, emphasising that it would be hazardous for health and the environment, and that there is a lack of rule of law in Serbia.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

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