Rio Tinto Planning Construction of Underground Jadarite Mine Near Loznica in Early 2022

Rio Sava Exploration has invested USD 250 million in the Jadar Project so far, and another USD 200 million has been set aside for the current year, it was said at a presentation of this project, which has caused a lot of controversy in the public.

As the general manager for the Jadar Project at Rio Tinto, Vesna Prodanovic, emphasized, the Jadar project primarily entails the construction of an underground mine, which should begin in 2022 and end in 2026.

At the moment, technical documentation is being prepared, land is being purchased, an environmental impact assessment is being prepared and the necessary construction permits are being obtained.

By the end of the year, three new studies of environmental impact should be finished, pertaining to the mine, the mineral processing facility and industrial waste.

The plan is for Jadar to produce lithium-carbonate, which is suitable for the production of lithium batteries, which are in turn used to power electric cars.

Prodanovic emphasized that the concentration of lithium found in the Jadar area, thereby named jadarite, was such that it made its exploitation profitable.

The site, she said, accounts for around 10% of the global lithium quantities.

She emphasized that its exploitation in the Loznica area, to be carried out below the ground, would be much different from surface excavations and that the difference also pertained to the environmental impact.

The mine, as said, should be operational for around 50 years.

Rio Sava Exploration d.o.o. Beograd

Rio Tinto

Vesna Prodanović

Nikola Šunjić

Jadar Project

construction of a mine

underground mine

lithium

lithium carbonate

lithium batteries

powering electric cars