January 21 (SeeNews) - Serbia's government has revoked all licences of Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto for the $2.4 billion (2.1 billion euro) Jadar lithium-borate mine project, prime minister Ana Brnabic said.
The government has cancelled its decree and the spatial plan of the area for the implementation of the project for exploitation and processing of jadarite minerals, while the decision to form a working group for the implementation of the Jadar project has been revoked, Brnabic said in a video file posted on the website of Tanjug news agency late on Thursday.
The decision was taken amid forthcoming general election in Serbia in April 2022 and a wave of protests across the country. Protesters claim that the project would cause irreversible environmental damage to the Jadar valley, where the mine is planned to be located.
"You did not want Rio Tinto in Serbia. We put an end to Rio Tinto in Serbia and this is what is most important now. We fulfilled all demands," Brnabic said.
Rio Tinto never provided more detailed information and facts for the Jadar project as requested by the Serbian government to address the concerns of the public, Brnabic noted.
Rio Tinto remains committed to Jadar, the company said in a separate statement on Thursday.
"Understandably, there are significant concerns about the potential impact of the mine on the local communities of the Jadar valley and we understand that we need to show that these concerns can be addressed and managed," the company said.
"We are not afraid of Rio Tinto, we are here for the sake of our people and our country, let them do what they think is best to do, this is the final decision of the government," Brnabic said, commenting on the statement of the Anglo-American company.
Jadar, discovered by Rio Tinto geologists in 2004 near Loznica, would be capable of delivering approximately 55,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate, as well as 160,000 tonnes of boric acid and 255,000 tonnes of sodium sulfate as by-products per year. Rio Tinto planned to complete the construction of an underground mine at the Jadar lithium borate project site in 2026 which would help make the company a top 10 lithium producer.
($ = 0.88224 euro)