The Jadar mining project is a proposed mining site. The deposit is one of the largest

lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...

deposits in the world and also contains

boron Boron is a chemical element; it has symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the boron group it has three ...

. It is planned that both lithium and boron will be recovered from the ore. The deposit contains the mineral jadarite, the only occurrence of this mineral in the world. The mine is located in western

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

Mačva District The Mačva District (, ) is one of administrative districts of Serbia. It lies in the western part of Serbia, in the geographical regions of Mačva, Podrinje, Posavina, and Pocerina. According to the 2022 census, it has a population of 265,3 ...

. The Jadar mine has reserves amounting to 118 million tonnes of ore grading 1.8%

oxide. The deposit was discovered in 2004. The Serbian government revoked licences for the Jadar project in January 2022 after large environmental protests. In January 2024,

President of Serbia The president of Serbia (), officially styled as President of the Republic (), is the head of state of Serbia. The current officeholder is Aleksandar Vučić, who was elected in 2017 and has held the role since 31 May 2017. According to the C ...

Aleksandar Vučić Aleksandar Vučić, (born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as President of Serbia since 2017. A founding member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), he previously served as President of the SNS from 2012 to 2023, Deputy Prim ...

stated that the government wants to hold further talks with Rio Tinto and that there should be more public discussion over whether the project should go ahead. If completed, the project could supply 90% of Europe's current lithium needs and help to make Rio Tinto a leading lithium producer. The project resulted in renewed environmental protests, starting in July 2024 when the

Supreme Court of Serbia The Supreme Court () is the court of last resort in Serbia which reviews and possibly overturns previous rulings made by lower courts. The seat of the Supreme Court is in Belgrade. The court is currently composed of 50 judges (including the pres ...

ruled that Belgrade's decision to revoke Rio Tinto's license for the project in 2022 was

unconstitutional In constitutional law, constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applic ...

. One week later, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy

Dubravka Đedović Dubravka Đedović Handanović ( sr-cyrl, Дубравка Ђедовић Хандановић; formerly Dubravka Nègre; born 6 November 1978) is a Serbian banker and politician serving as minister of mining and energy since 2022. Born in Bel ...

signed a memorandum with

Maroš Šefčovič Maroš Šefčovič (; born 24 July 1966) is a Slovak diplomat and politician serving as European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency (2024–2029) in the Von der Leyen Commission II. Prior t ...

, Vice-President and "overseer" of the

European Green Deal The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to review each existing law on its climate meri ...

, agreeing on the basis of critical raw materials, battery value chains, and electric vehicles related to the mining project. The project has strong backing from the EU especially, with

German Chancellor The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. Th ...

Olaf Scholz Olaf Scholz (; born 14 June 1958) is a German politician who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Ge ...

calling it a "good project for Serbia" and "an important European project." Proponents also claim that the mining project would "push Serbia closer to the EU and help reduce the EU's dependency on China for lithium." The mine is set to open no sooner than 2028.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jadar Mine Lithium mines in Serbia Rio Tinto (corporation) Mačva District