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Serbia to give green light for Rio Tinto lithium mine, feet reports

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is preparing to provide Rio Tinto the thumbs-up to develop Europe's largest lithium mine two years after Belgrade aborted the job, the Financial Times said on Sunday.

Vucic informed the paper that brand-new warranties from the worldwide mining giant and the European Union looked set to resolve Serbia's concerns over whether required environmental requirements would be fulfilled at the Jadar website in the west of the country.

Rio Tinto said in a declaration emailed to : We. think the Jadar Job has the prospective to be a first-rate. property that might function as a catalyst for establishing an EV. ( electrical lorry) worth chain in Serbia.

Considered as a vital material by the EU and the United. States, lithium is utilized in batteries for EVs and mobile devices.

If we deliver on whatever, (the mine) may be open in. 2028 Vucic informed the feet, adding that the mine was predicted to. produce 58,000 tons of lithium each year which would be enough. for 17% of EV production in Europe-- around 1.1 million. cars and trucks.

In 2022, Belgrade withdrawed licences for Rio's $2.4 billion. Jadar project after huge ecological demonstrations. If. completed, the job might provide 90% of Europe's existing. lithium requirements and assist to make the company a leading lithium. producer.

In 2021 and 2022 Serbian environmentalists collected 30,000. signatures in a petition demanding that parliament enact. legislation to stop lithium expedition in the country.

(source: Reuters)