Over the past 20 years, Serbia has issued exploration permits for lithium to a total of 11 companies, in addition to Rio Tinto, which is planning to mine lithium in the Jadar River Valley. According to documentation from the association “Prvi prvi na skali,” permits have been issued for research in more than 60 locations across the country. From 2004 to 2022, Serbian ministries issued a staggering 126 decisions related to lithium, as per the association’s review of over 550 pages of documents. These decisions include approvals, extensions, refusals, and verifications related to lithium exploration.
Initial developments and company entries
The first of these 126 decisions was granted to “Rio Sava Exploration,” a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, in 2004. This initial permit allowed geological research of evaporite sedimentary rock near Loznica. Up until 2010, “Rio Sava” was the sole company with such permits. However, after 2010, ten additional companies entered the field, including “LithiumLi Balkan,” “Ultra Balkans,” “Balkan Gold,” “LithiumLi Exploration,” “Rer Mineral Resources,” “GeoMin Consulting,” “Nova Centauri Metals,” “Centurion Metals,” “Euro Lithium Balkan,” and “Jadar Lithium” (now Balkan Research LLC).
Company ownership and status
Many of these companies are relatively unknown, with several having ceased operations or undergone name changes. For instance, “LithiumLi Balkan” and “Ultra Balkans” are owned by Canadian firms and are currently in liquidation. “Balkan Gold” continues to operate under Canadian ownership, while “Euro Lithium Balkan” and “Jadar Lithium” (now “Balkan Research DOO”) are also Canadian and Australian owned, respectively. The only Serbian-owned entity, “Rer Mineral Resources,” is currently in liquidation.
Geographical scope of exploration
During the 18-year period of issuing permits, 2006 was the only year without any new decisions. The peak was in 2012 with 21 decisions, followed by 19 in 2011 and 17 in 2015. The list of explored areas spans 63 towns, villages, and municipalities, including Aranđelovac, Badanje, Bela Crkva, Čačak, Loznica, Niš and Valjevo, among others.
Public and environmental opposition
Recent surveys show that 55.5% of Serbian residents oppose Rio Tinto’s lithium mining plans in the Jadar Valley, and 52.1% would remain opposed even with European guarantees for environmental protection. This sentiment is echoed by environmental groups, activists, and the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Despite this opposition, President Aleksandar Vučić supports the project, citing potential benefits such as job creation and higher wages. He has stated that the mine could open in four years, provided that environmental and public safety guarantees are met.
In late 2021, large-scale protests led the government to halt the “Jadar” project temporarily. However, the Constitutional Court recently declared this halt unconstitutional, leading to the reinstatement of the spatial plan for the Jadar project, which includes the extraction of jadarite.
