Europe's Lithium Paradox (2025) Movie Script
1
(atmospheric music)
People often overlook
that everything
that was not born or
grown was once mined.
It might be an inconvenient
truth, but without mining,
there wouldn't be any buildings
or bridges.
No railway tracks or fridges.
No smartphones
or electric buses.
(atmospheric music)
I think I have a piece.
Yes, let's check.
Our fight against climate change
also relies on mining.
Lithium, for example, is a
crucial element for batteries
powering electric mobility
and stationary energy storage.
Seven percent of lithium oxide.
It's not like Europe lacks
lithium in its bedrock.
We have different kinds
of lithium in Europe.
Spodumene like this
that is very important
and lithium as zinnwaldite
in Germany, jadarite in Serbia
and many others.
Is lithium everywhere then?
Yes, Europe could
be self-sufficient
in terms of lithium, for sure.
Why don't we have any
operational mines in Europe?
Yeah, quite interesting.
They just see the disadvantages,
they don't see the advantages.
(vibrant music)
Climate change is the
defining challenge of our time.
To move to a
climate-neutral world,
the total demand for
critical minerals is projected
to triple between
today and 2040.
Of all the critical minerals,
lithium
stands out with
eight-fold growth.
These critical minerals
are vital for wind turbines,
solar panels,
batteries and electric vehicles,
along with many other clean
technologies
essential for advancing
towards a
climate-neutral society.
The International Energy Agency
has calculated
that we need 50 new mines
for lithium by 2030.
In Europe we have
loads of potential,
and yet, in the real world,
we still haven't got
any single operational
lithium mine in Europe itself.
That is a huge paradox for me.
It is a paradox.
As the race for critical
minerals takes center stage
on the global
geopolitical agenda,
Europe can no longer afford
to remain passive.
US President Trump enforced
a critical minerals
for security deal with Ukraine,
while also eyeing
Greenland's untapped resources.
Meanwhile,
China holds significant stakes
in the Democratic
Republic of Congo
and continues
to dominate the lithium market.
Although Australia
and Chile may possess
larger lithium
reserves than China,
the Chinese have
secured almost 60 percent
of the global lithium
refining capacity
and 75 percent
of global battery production.
To avoid sleepwalking into the
abyss, Europe's time
to act is now.
This map corroborates the huge
potential for lithium
mining in Europe.
We have deposits spread from
Portugal right up to Finland.
If you look at the
size of the deposits,
two of the crucial ones
are here in Serbia,
and there in Portugal.
Both of these mines face
quite a lot of opposition,
local opposition
and even national opposition.
Mining is needed,
but not always wanted.
Take Portugal, for example.
A number of locals
in Covas do Barroso
have voiced strong
concerns about
lithium extraction
in their region.
In Serbia,
an EU candidate member state,
protests have been elevated from
the local to the national level.
Many Serbs argue
that the mine will destroy their
environment and agriculture.
It just shows
that Europe's climate targets
often conflict
with local or national demands
for environmental
and cultural preservation.
(atmospheric music)
Doctor Peter Tom
Jones wants to dig
deeper into this
lithium paradox.
That's why he's travelling
to the Barroso region
in the north of Portugal,
where one of the largest lithium
deposits in Europe is situated.
Hello, good evening.
Please.
Jones is the director
of the KU Leuven Institute for
Sustainable Metals and Minerals
in Belgium,
an internationally renowned
interdisciplinary institute
recognized for its
expertise in lithium.
This is a copy of the five-liter
one, it's just a bigger version.
Beyond his academic work,
Jones has spent over 30
years passionately advocating
for a just transition
to a climate-neutral society.
(atmospheric music)
However,
he has come to recognize
that this transition
inevitably requires
the extraction
of critical metals.
This raises an
essential question.
Can mining be
conducted responsibly
and can Europe lead the way
as a global pioneer?
The problem is
that mining has such
a bad reputation
all over the world,
and yet in Europe,
we can do it in a different way.
We can do it in an
ESG-friendly way.
That's what I want to find out,
to see
how it can be done
in a better way.
(atmospheric music)
The first stop on his
journey is Boticas,
where the headquarters of
Savannah Resources are situated.
Savannah is a British
mining company
listed on the London
Stock Exchange.
This junior company has one
mining project in its portfolio,
the controversial
Barroso Lithium Project.
If all goes according to plan,
the first of four open pit mines
will commence
operations in 2027.
The project is going
to have four pits,
and this is just
a representation
of the timeline of the project.
We are going to operate
four pits in sequence.
One by one, and as we open a new
one, we backfill
the previous one.
In the model,
the location of the
first one would be right here.
Then we work on this one.
Then we would come
to this one, and
then finally to
this pit right here.
As you can see, two of the pits
here are already rehabilitated.
The trend in mining is to go
underground towards
invisible mines,
so why did you go for open pits?
From a technical perspective,
the resource is on the surface,
so it doesn't warrant
an underground mine here.
Okay, but I do see villages
which are relatively close
by this open pit in particular.
I guess they're
worried about dust,
noise, vibrations,
and water issues.
How do you deal
with those complaints?
We've already identified
and mapped out a lot of the
concerns from the population,
and you mentioned a few of them.
Of course,
we have mitigation measures
in place to manage and mitigate
and minimize all
of those negative
aspects or negative impacts,
whether it's sound, dust,
or air quality, for example.
We need to see it
before we can believe it,
so let's go to this place
and speak to the people.
(atmospheric music)
The mining activities would
occur in the Barroso region,
an area renowned
for its strong cultural identity
and recognized
as World Agricultural Heritage.
Despite its agricultural
significance,
the region also has a
long tradition of mining.
This region is the tip
of a protected area recognized
for its agricultural heritage,
and what's being
recognized is the
traditional
agricultural practices.
The resistance
will say that you'll
be destroying that way of life.
Those who protest the project
claim that there's a risk
that they're going
to lose that recognition
but it's interesting to
know that that classification,
that recognition
was granted in 2018
with already a series
of mining projects
in the protected area.
It's not at all incompatible,
besides the fact
that we're going to be occupying
a very, very small
portion of that area.
While driving to
Covas do Barroso,
Peter Tom Jones and
Thomas Gaultier pass
through numerous
semi-deserted villages.
The younger generation
of Portugal has
left the northern
part of the country
to pursue education
in coastal cities or abroad,
and they have not returned
due to the lack of jobs.
You reckon the
mine will provide new
economic developments here,
then?
It's definitely
going to create a
stimulation of the
local economy.
With more people coming,
you're going to have more need
for restaurants,
more need for
small grocery stores,
and that's going to
create stimulation.
These mine workers,
they will come
and live in these
houses again then?
They might if the owners are
ready to rent out their house
to the mining community,
to the mining workers.
Yes, absolutely.
It's an absolutely gorgeous
place to live, anyway.
(gentle music)
In my opinion, the nicest
viewpoint in the area.
Here we see the
beautiful valleys,
so where will your pits come?
There are four pits.
The main pit will
be in the second
valley down in that direction,
closer to the little
village of Romainho,
which is 580 meters
from our biggest pit.
Will they see the pit?
They're going to see the pit
to some extent,
especially at the
top levels of the pit.
They're also going to see some
of the waste rock storage
that's going to be there,
but it's going to be quite
hidden in the vegetation
and in the structure
of the landscape.
What's the reaction
of the people there?
Some are not very happy.
This is where the main voices
of protest come from,
from Romainho and
Covas do Barroso.
When I hear Covas do Barroso,
I think about the
resistance I see
in all these newspaper articles.
This is where it comes from,
because people are concerned
and people are afraid,
and that's what makes
the work worthwhile.
I want to go and
speak to these people.
Do you think they will
be willing to speak to me?
I'm sure they're
going to be willing
to engage and share their views
and their position
on this project
because it affects
them and it's normal.
Can I expect a
friendly encounter?
My experience is that
it's always friendly,
if not passionate encounters.
(gentle music)
Finnish researcher,
Toni Eerola, is
accompanying
Jones on this journey.
As a social geologist,
Eerola is investigating
local resistance to the mining
of energy-transition
metals in Europe.
His proficiency in Portuguese
proves particularly useful.
Were making a documentary.
Stop filming! Okay?
If you will use this,
I have a recording too.
However, the meeting
with the local
opposition highlights
the deep distrust
against the project.
I speak portuguese.
You can talk to me.
We know exactly
what you are doing and
what is the
intention of this work.
That's why it's not welcomed.
It's disrespectful to a
community that is struggling,
because of a company
of thieves and liars.
And you come here
to collude with them.
We've already been screwed
a lot of times and we
don't accept people like you.
That's why I
advise you to leave.
Dont challenge me
or youre going to get it.
The researchers are prevented
from freely engaging
with other local residents
in Covas do Barroso,
making it impossible
to accurately gauge
public sentiment
regarding the
lithium mining project.
What is clear is that the
project is highly sensitive,
with some locals feeling that
their livelihoods
are under threat.
(gentle music)
Tony, I was not expecting
this kind of hostility.
How do you explain that?
Yes, I was a little
bit surprised also
but anyway,
we can expect anything
in these kinds of situations.
The emotions were really tough?
Yes,
and that happens in activism.
The emotions, they are a part of
activism, a strong part of that.
They are really convinced
that lithium is a bad thing.
They do not see this as part
of a cleantech transition
to climate neutrality?
Yes, it seems to be
an absolute view.
The problem is that the mine
would be close
to that community,
but then they
refuse to recognize
the green energy transition.
They don't believe in that.
There's also a deliberate
attempt not to engage with us,
and not to give their opinion?
They spoke a lot with us,
but not in front of cameras.
They don't accept it
and refuse totally to do that.
You see a lack of trust
even in scientists like us.
Journalists, government,
researchers,
it's kind of systematic.
If they don't trust us,
what about the company
that is trying to do this?
That's the worst-case scenario
for them to trust a company
that intends to
mine on their lands.
Do you think the community
engagement strategy
of the company can work
in such circumstances?
Not with these people, probably,
but for the rest of
the community, I
think that it's worth
trying to do that.
Yes, we have work to do.
(atmospheric music)
In this historic church
in Mechelen in Belgium,
Jones seeks to find common
ground between civil society,
academia, public authorities,
and the mining industry.
We'll now kick off
with the SLO panel event
on responsible mining in Europe.
The responsible
mining model aims to
transcend past
questionable practices,
focusing on minimizing
environmental harm,
ensuring fair labor conditions
and involving local communities
as real beneficiaries.
Jones challenges the industry
to prove its commitment
to this transformation.
This is a major question that
the Serbian
opposition is posing.
How can any company that goes
for such a project
outside of the European Union
take along the very strict
ESG standards it has to follow
within the European Union?
However, the Social
License to Operate concept
also faces criticism.
Here, the protesters
highlight the
right to say no and stay silent,
letting their banners about
Portugal and
Serbia do the talking.
It's a paradox.
Civil society grapples
with the challenge
of balancing local
community rights
and environmental preservation
with the need to mine metals,
which are essential
for the transition
to a climate-neutral economy.
(atmospheric music)
However, not all
environmental organizations
are opposed to metal mining.
That's a topic addressed
by Julia Poliscanova,
a prominent figure
at Transport and Environment.
There you go.
It's a coalition
of over 60 environmental NGOs
across Europe.
While she acknowledges
the concerns
surrounding the
global mining industry,
she also recognizes
the necessity
of lithium mining in Europe.
You can have different kinds
of environmentalism, right?
You have organizations that are
anti and that
operate by protest,
and you have environmental
organizations that
rely on evidence,
for example, we as T&E, but
also rely very much on engaging.
We engage with politicians,
we engage with companies
to raise the standards of mining
but understand,
and we understand
that we still will
need a lot more
critical minerals
for technologies like
batteries and wind turbines.
You're trying to be constructive
in your environmentalism.
We are constructive
in the way we approach things,
but not scared to
call companies out.
When something's not done right,
we say so.
However, we understand
that only by working together
can we build this resilient
supply chain in Europe.
Still, many environmental
activists
simply don't trust
these mining companies.
They don't trust them,
and sometimes
they also have a
good reason not to.
Historically, we have a
lot of evidence of corruption,
of mismanagement, dirty rivers,
dangerous chemicals, et cetera.
There's also a responsibility
for the mining companies
to break with the past
and do things differently.
Before we delve
into the necessary
changes in the mining industry,
we should also reflect
on our choices as consumers.
Do we really need
to buy an oversized electric SUV
every four years?
Perhaps it's time
to rethink our economic model,
one that promotes circularity
through ecodesign,
thereby reducing our
dependence on mining.
Instead of mining more lithium,
we just need to consume less.
Whether we all use electric cars
or we go by electric bus
or even by train, we will
still need critical minerals.
We'll need them for steel
to make your rail tracks.
For example, or lithium to build
that bigger battery for a bus.
We will still need
a lot of those minerals,
but how much more depends on the
various choices that we make.
T&E has always been
in favor of a modal shift,
so how far can that take us?
We have looked
at it a lot as T&E.
We see that, for example,
if more people took
a smaller electric vehicle
as opposed to a large SUV,
we would need to mine a
quarter less cumulatively
of lithium and nickel by 2050.
That's a lot of mines
we don't have to build.
This primary demand can be
further reduced
by recycling more?
Recycling or broader
circularity is also critical.
Generally, I hope that
we in the world move away
from this linear kind of
extractive model
that we have today
and go to a more circular loop.
We mine lithium and nickel once,
but then we can
constantly recycle it
in a loop to produce
new batteries.
How far can we jump today
with recycled lithium?
One of the key
players is Umicore.
This multinational corporation,
headquartered in Belgium,
has developed an innovative new
technique for
recycling batteries.
(atmospheric music)
Something very special is going
to happen today, I understand.
Yes, it's the very first time
we're ever allowing a film crew
inside the battery smelter.
Is it because it's
a secret process?
It's unique,
and it's a wonderful process.
However,
it remains a pilot plant today
as the volumes are insufficient
to be profitable.
Here we can say a final goodbye
to the battery.
It's the funeral
of the batteries.
Yes, it's the end of
their productive life,
but it's the start
of a new life.
Which type of batteries go
into the smelter?
We can take a high
variety of batteries.
We take batteries
from the early-generation EVs
that are now becoming
end of life, not used anymore.
We also take
quite a bit of cells
that have quality issues
during manufacturing.
This is a proper
industrial pilot.
How much feed do you need
to have a really
commercially-viable
industrial factory?
We operate at a capacity
of 7,000 tons per year,
which is equivalent
to roughly 20,000 EV batteries.
Our ambition is to scale up
with capacities
that are 10 or 20 times bigger.
When will those
volumes be available?
We believe that in the
next decade, in the 2030s
that the end-of-life
market will pick up
and we have a role to play
with such an installation.
What's very
important is that the
volumes that will
be on the market
then will also be
available to us as recyclers
because today a majority of
these volumes
are leaving Europe.
You're saying
that they are leaving Europe?
They are leaving Europe
because Asian players are much
more competitive to take them,
and Europe still needs to invest
in higher-capacity installations
with lower costs.
People are hesitating
to put on these investments
because we lack a clear,
coherent policy to support them.
The European Union
still has a lot of work to do.
We're appealing very strongly
to policymakers in Europe
to make it happen,
and not just in a few years from
now, the time to act is now.
It's time to visit
the smelter with
a camera crew
and a flying drone,
the first time ever.
What are we seeing here now?
What's happening?
When the batteries touch the
molten bath inside this furnace,
something truly magical happens.
In a matter of seconds,
the critical raw materials,
lithium,
nickel, cobalt are liberated
from their original compounds,
and they're pushed
into separate,
high quality products, actually.
Nickel, cobalt will be collected
in the alloy,
which is now
tapped into the pot.
Then lithium is pushed
into the gaseous state
and we capture it
as a salt basically
in the flue dust off-gas system.
What are the main
advantages here, then?
The main advantages
are that it's safe by design.
We don't need to
open up any battery.
It's super efficient, high yield
of the critical raw materials,
and it's most sustainable.
Low carbon footprint,
less waste, less chemicals.
Is this a really
world-unique process?
Absolutely.
This is a process
that's invented
and developed here
in the center of Europe.
Do you think the Chinese want
to copy this process?
We know that they
want to copy it.
They are very interested
to learn about this technology.
We have Chinese
customers as well,
so we're in touch with them,
anyway.
All great news, but in China,
new, more affordable types
of batteries are emerging.
The so-called LFP batteries
or lithium-iron-phosphate,
which do not contain
cobalt or nickel.
If this battery becomes
the new standard,
current recycling technologies
could face significant pressure.
- Oh, here we have it.
- Yes.
Look at this,
this is the white gold.
This is industrially produced
Technical-grade
lithium carbonate.
It's fully recycled.
Fully from spent batteries.
Is that a solution for
our lithium supply?
We will need mining
for the foreseeable future,
but recycling is a key addition,
a key strategic component
for Europe to be more
independent and more sustainable
for its future mobility.
So, you can't recycle your way
out of the fossil-fuel economy?
You have to first produce them
and then recycle them.
Even with a major modal shift
in transportation
and a significant boost in
lithium-ion battery recycling,
some primary lithium mining
will still be necessary
to achieve a
climate-neutral economy.
This aligns with the EU's
Critical Raw Materials Act,
which sets ambitious targets.
At least 10 percent of lithium
is sourced from domestic mining,
40 percent refined
within the EU,
and 25 percent
recycled domestically.
In the European Parliament,
Jones meets German MEP
Hildegard Bentele,
who has played a
pivotal role in shaping
and refining
the Critical Raw Materials Act,
where lithium remains
a central focus.
How important is the lithium
supply chain for Europe?
It is very important
because we are super
dependent currently
from one supplier,
which is China.
We have to face
the situation that
the supply chain is interrupted.
China could hit
us hard by stopping
lithium imports from China.
We want to prepare
for this situation.
That means domestic mining
and refining in Europe.
So that we have
a current inflow of
potential battery
production in Europe.
Still, there is so
much opposition.
There's a lot of
hypocrisy in it because
if they saw the
conditions under which
lithium is mined in China
or in other places in the world,
the standards are much lower.
Actually, they are blocking
high-standard lithium mining.
For the purpose, what they want,
which is to have
cleaner transport,
a cleaner environment.
This is what we are aiming for.
They also do not see that
we have high tech in mining.
Jones witnessed
first-hand how mining
Jones witnessed
first-hand how mining
in the Nordic countries
is conducted more responsibly,
and has evolved
into a highly advanced industry,
featuring electric trucks
and autonomous vehicles
powered by green electricity.
Moreover, mining at depths
beyond 1,000 meters underground
bears little resemblance
to the hazardous and polluting
coal mining of the past.
What's happening here?
The sector has undergone a
remarkable digital
transformation.
This is where we load
and work with the hydraulic
stone knockers using joysticks,
Xbox and
PlayStation controllers.
PlayStation at
1,400 meters depth?
Yes.
Perhaps this explains
why the Keliber lithium mining
and refining project
in the Kaustinen
region in Finland
faces so little opposition.
The company plans
to begin mining in 2026.
A similar situation exists
in central France,
where Imerys aims to expand
its existing kaolinite mine
into an underground
lepidolite lithium operation.
Opposition
to this project remains minimal.
Both of these
projects were granted
the Strategic Project status
by the EU in March 2025.
Despite the protests, the Mina
do Barroso project in Portugal
has also been labelled
a Strategic Project.
We are seeing a lot of
deindustrialization in Europe.
Can this lithium supply chain
counteract that?
Yes, it can, because we have
seen that the mining sector,
which was in decline,
with these kind of projects,
can be revived
and can be made
into a new ecosystem.
It's not only mining,
it's processing,
it's refining, it's recycling.
We have the chance to establish
a completely new ecosystem,
which is future-proven, but if
we do not act now to revive it,
soon, it will really
be in decline
and will go away from Europe.
The European Union
is expanding its search
for lithium outside
of its own borders.
It has signed a strategic
partnership with Serbia,
home to Europe's largest and
most valuable lithium deposit,
a resource capable of supplying
batteries for one
million electric cars
or 200,000 electric
buses annually.
However,
the planned lithium mine
in Serbia's fertile Jadar Valley
has sparked massive protests.
What started as local opposition
rapidly grew into a
nationwide movement.
Shifting from Not In My Backyard
to Not In My Country.
Rio Tinto, get out of Serbia!
Get out of Serbia!
The contested British Australian
mining company, Rio Tinto,
which intends to
invest 2.3 billion Euros
in this major
underground lithium operation,
is facing unprecedented
resistance.
The ore found in the region,
known as jadarite,
was officially classified
as a new mineral in 2004.
It's here, we see examples of
the drill cores
and the jadarite.
If you look at this core,
the white dots that you
see here are the jadarite.
Compared to other lithium
ores present in Europe,
such as spodumene
in Portugal, Spain, and Finland,
lepidolite in France,
or zinnwaldite in Germany
and the Czech Republic,
jadarite is easier to process.
It does not require
energy-intensive
thermal pretreatment
or extremely harsh
chemical conditions.
From a purely
environmental perspective,
jadarite processing would
not pose more but fewer risks,
according to
metallurgical experts.
Here we see the valley.
The now-famous Jadar Valley.
From here, you can see where we
intend, if everything goes well,
to build the Jadar project.
If you look at that line
and maybe I can explain it here,
we are talking about
a surface area
of 220 hectares above ground.
- No, that's not big.
- It's not big?
If you think about, for example,
the Kolubara mine
in another part of Serbia,
which is an open-pit mine,
that's 60,000 hectares.
- You must be joking.
- No.
That's just the
footprint you see on top.
Yes.
That's the benefit you get
from an underground mine.
If you look at this picture,
imagine that this
is that area here.
The mine is underground, you
don't see it, you see only...
- It's an invisible mine.
- Yes, exactly.
It's an invisible mine,
which is completely underground.
Everything around the mine
remains the same.
It is a very modern
mine that will
be operated from a control room.
Everything will be controlled
electronically.
When you think about Jadar,
the area that maybe people
will see from this point,
if Jadar is built,
is rather small.
Everything around the area
and around the fence
will continue to
be the way it is
because we will
make sure that the
farming exists exactly the same.
There is no land subsidence.
Still,
there are so many protests.
Yes, there are protests.
Unfortunately, the narrative has
been based on disinformation,
and what we are
struggling with is
actually to see a
fact-based dialogue
and discussion about
the merits of this project.
(tense music)
During the interview, members
of the local resistance group,
Ne Damo Jadar keep passing by,
filming the Serbian
head of Rio Tinto
while making
their feelings clear.
You are wasting your time it
is useless what you are doing.
There is nothing for you here,
this is our living space.
We will defend
this with our lives.
If you want blood to flow,
you can get it.
Why are these local farmers
so vehemently opposed
to the Jadar project?
Ne Damo Jadar,
meaning we Won't Give Up Jadar,
is unwavering in its
resistance against Rio Tinto,
and it's clear
that they will not back down.
What is your main concern with
this lithium project
by Rio Tinto?
There is no concern,
there will be no mine.
Our job is to gather
as many people as possible
to bring 200,000
people out in the
streets and they
will have to leave.
The president wants
the mining project to happen.
The president wants
the mine to be opened
because he is the key lobbyist
for Rio Tinto.
Are you afraid of environmental
pollution? Is that
the main cause?
If the mine comes,
there would be no life here.
Isn't it sad that you
have these huge
lithium resources
in this country,
and you can't use them
to become rich in this country?
Europe would get rich.
They would get lithium batteries
and a healthy environment.
They would be the ones driving
around in the electric vehicles,
and Serbia would become
Europes landfill,
and we would suffer from
various diseases like cancer.
(atmospheric music)
It's striking to
see the lengths to
which Ne Damo
Jadar is prepared to go
to halt the lithium mine.
We are ready to
sacrifice our lives
in the fight against Rio Tinto.
What do you mean
by sacrificing your own life?
We will lie down
in front of the excavators.
We will burn them
and do whatever it takes.
Rio Tinto get out of Serbia.
In Serbia, the local protest
by Ne Damo Jadar has grown into
a massive national movement,
attracting a diverse array of
opponents against
the mining project.
Is it possible that behind these
doors people sit
who are only focused
on their mandate?
The opposition is
remarkably diverse.
Local farmers, urban
environmentalists,
Belgrade scientists
and Serbian nationalists
all united against the project.
In Belgrade, Jones meets
anthropologist
Jelena Vasiljevic,
who may shed some light on why
so many Serbs oppose the mine.
How do you explain
these complex,
massive protests
here in Belgrade?
Part of it is that it's against
the mining of lithium.
Part of it has to do with that
and with different arguments
about why the Jadar project
is complicated.
The complex part of it has to do
with the dissatisfaction
with this political regime
and how this whole process
has been conducted
in non-transparent
and non-democratic ways.
Many grievances
are actually being articulated
in this protest.
The lack of trust in the
government here is very loud.
It's very clear.
Where is it coming from?
We also have bad experiences
with previous projects.
We had many other projects that
were declared of
national interest,
and they were all conducted
in non-transparent
and non-democratic ways.
If Rio Tinto were a
Serbian company,
do you think the project
would have been okay?
Partially it has to do with
the bad history of Rio Tinto.
That is true,
it's not only about the economy.
It's not only about how you
use sustainable raw materials.
It's what you
politically do with it.
This is why people
are distrustful
and I would say they are right.
Anthropologist Jelena Vasiljevic
attributes the growing unrest
to the current regime,
which, according to her
and many protesters,
is sliding towards autocracy
under President Vui.
This is evident in the harsh
suppression of
protests in Belgrade
and the unlawful arrests
of many activists.
The movement continues
to gain momentum
with the support of
thousands of Serbian students.
The Jadar lithium project
has become deeply intertwined
with the political
opposition to Vui.
Should there be a referendum
on this project?
No, a referendum,
I don't think it's a good idea
because a referendum is always
dependent on how
you frame the question.
Then you get the
Brexit discussions.
Not only that, the political
climate then takes a lot.
The political
climate is important
and you also have
to have an informed public.
How can you have a referendum
when citizens aren't
informed enough?
Now they're staging something
that looks like an open debate,
even though we know
that everything is already done.
We needed to be
more prepared for that.
(atmospheric music)
Is the deep distrust
in Rio Tinto's lithium project
based on genuine concerns,
or is it also fuelled
by disinformation,
allegedly spread to
serve political goals
such as ousting President
Vui's autocratic regime?
Rio Tinto claims that fake
news plays a significant role.
At their information
center in Loznica,
they've even set
up a fake-news wall.
You see a lot of photos
of open-pit mines.
We know this is an
underground mine,
and it will not look like that.
You see the explosions, which
are connected to the open pits,
and how people are scared.
Here you have information
that we will use sulphuric acid
at 250 degrees,
which is not true.
We're using it at 90 degrees
as anyone can see
from the information
publicly available.
That we will destroy the water
sources for 85 million people,
which is underground in Jadar.
It is very easy to say something
like you will burn the skin
and lungs of people because
you will have sulfuric rains,
which is completely not true,
but explaining the technology
and how you use
the sulfuric acid takes time.
It's easy to throw
the mud at someone,
but it's difficult
to clean the shirt again.
It takes much longer, it's the
Second Law of Thermodynamics.
What do you then do about this?
What is your strategy?
The first thing is
that we plan community meetings
to meet with the
community face-to-face.
We've met more than 3,000
people so far in the past year,
and we've committed
to radical transparency.
That is, we put all the
information on our web page,
respond to all media inquiries,
and
rebut everything
that's fake news.
(atmospheric music)
Misinformation, disinformation,
and the lack of
trust are also issues
Savannah claims
to be struggling with.
In Portugal, lithium is
often perceived as toxic
despite ongoing
lithium mining in the region,
albeit not for
battery production.
Okay, so this is the NOA pit,
which is currently
being operated
for the purpose of
extracting lithium
and quartz and feldspar for
the ceramics industry right now.
Basically,
there is already lithium mining.
Exactly, there is lithium mining
happening right in front of us.
Why do people think
it's toxic, then?
It's issues of perception.
It's issues of perception
because people don't understand
what lithium is.
They don't understand
how it's transformed
to become a battery,
for example.
They're very much unaware
of the fact that
they're in contact
with lithium on a daily basis.
If we look at a ceramic cup,
people drink coffee,
every day they put
lithium to their lips.
The rock that's
used to make this
ceramic could have
come from this mine.
That's one of the major
challenges that we have
in our engagement
with the community.
It's trying to clarify
any misunderstandings,
using facts in order to explain
exactly what you just said.
There's already
lithium being mined
here and in other
parts of Portugal,
and it's not different from
what we're going to be doing,
except we're going to be
doing it at a larger scale.
Fighting feelings with
facts is not an easy method.
It's not easy.
As long as we
keep giving facts and
we build trust with
the communities,
those feelings are going to
become feelings
of understanding,
acknowledgment, and
hopefully acceptance one day.
(gentle music)
Building trust with
local communities
remains a significant challenge
in Portugal.
In Dornelas,
another nearby civil parish
where the mine is
set to be developed,
residents can speak more freely
than in Covas do Barroso,
allowing Jones to hear a
wider range of perspectives.
Do you think this project is
an opportunity for the villages?
I am not against it,
I can't see that
it would bring
something bad here.
When things come here
we're probably already gone.
Okay, thanks.
It will affect the
life in the villages,
and it will have
impact on our water.
They will probably
need our water.
We are trying to
minimize the water use.
This is what we are doing for
our food, animals, everything.
What is the opinion
here in Dornelas,
is the majority for or against?
It varies, there are people
against and in
favor of the mine,
but I think that here in
Dornelas,
and the Dornelas parish,
there is a part
which is in favor of
it, and the majority
is in favor of it.
I don't know about
the rest of the
people because many
are also against it.
We live in a region
with a rich mining past.
What are your major concerns
about this project?
My major concerns
are with water tables.
That concerns me a lot.
- Water?
- Yes.
In southern European countries
like Portugal,
water usage is a major concern.
With frequent forest fires,
locals worry if there
will be enough water left
for agriculture.
One of the main concerns
I hear all the time
is that you're going
to use so much water,
and this region
doesn't have any water.
Actually this region
has a lot of water.
It rains a lot in this region,
and rain is where
we're going to be
collecting our
water for this mine.
We won't collect
water from the river,
and we're not
going to be ejecting
any kind of water
into the river.
We're going to
be using rainwater
through water retention systems
over here, over here, and over
here, to collect the rainwater,
which will be used
to supply the mine.
Will you then recycle the water
once it's in the system?
Absolutely, it's going to be
working in a closed circuit
where 85 percent
of the water used will
be recycled and
reused into the mine.
Why are you losing
15 percent then?
15 percent
is lost through evaporation,
and is also lost through
the humidity of the material
that's transported
out of the mine.
(atmospheric music)
With the urgent need
to mitigate climate change,
the mining industry
has been given
a crucial role in human history.
However, to avoid
repeating past mistakes,
continuous dialogue
with local communities
and civil society is essential.
A future mine?
No, thank you!
In the Barroso region,
such a dialogue
has been challenging so far,
but things are
starting to change.
Early 2025, a new association,
Associao Futuro
do Barroso has been founded.
This association,
which also includes members
from the Covas do
Barroso village itself,
does not take a position
for or against the project.
Instead, the organization is
dedicated to fostering dialogue
and collaborative
solutions towards
a responsible mining project.
We know and are aware
that lithium mining will bring
some difficulties
and problems to the
municipality. But we must know
how to transfer
these difficulties into
great opportunities
for development.
(atmospheric music)
In Serbia, skepticism
and distrust still prevail.
However,
there may be a solution to
overcoming Serbia's
lithium paradox.
In countries where trust
in the government is low,
involving a third-party auditor
could be a crucial step forward.
I believe they already do so
because I think if you do want
to produce any of your reports
for environmental impact
assessment, for example,
you need to have
third-party assessments.
I do think it would be very
helpful to engage with IRMA,
the Initiative for Responsible
Mining Assurance,
and to undergo a self-audit.
Following that, a proper audit
because it would really show
to the global NGO community,
first of all, transparently,
how they're doing things
and secondly, that they
are trying to do things better.
IRMA has developed comprehensive
standards for
responsible mining.
These standards address key
areas such as
business integrity,
environmental stewardship,
social responsibility,
and community engagement.
They were created
in collaboration
with civil society
organizations,
workers, environmental
groups and industry experts.
IRMA could build
up trust in that way?
IRMA can help with
the global community
to show that their intentions
are going in the
right direction.
If the EU wants
to evolve to mining practices
that are genuinely supported
by the public,
IRMA could serve as a key source
of inspiration for an improved
rather than weakened legislative
framework for mining in Europe.
(gentle music)
For Professor Lima
from the University of Porto,
the situation is clear.
Mining could give Portugal
and Europe a well-needed boost
in a rapidly changing
geopolitical world.
He hopes NIMBY can be
gradually replaced by PIMBY,
from Not In My Backyard
to Please In My Backyard.
To mine or not to mine,
that is now the question
for the Portuguese people.
As you said, yes, we have the
best resources in spodumene,
and spodumene is being mined for
50 years for the
lithium industry.
- It's proven technology.
- It's a proven technology.
It's something that works,
really,
and it's an
opportunity for Portugal
to take advantage
of these resources
to try to do the lithium value
chain from mining
to the refinery
and then we have a very nice
automobile industry in Portugal.
Lithium has the power
to bring the Portuguese
back to this country.
These villages that
we were seeing,
when I started to work here,
they had many more people.
Their population
is now decreasing.
I see this not as a threat,
but as an opportunity
to bring some people to these
areas, to live here
with families,
to work here in industry.
It's an opportunity.
Portugal is now at a crossroads,
you go either left
or you go right.
Do you think it will happen?
I believe that in some of
the places it will happen
because the people
will understand
that the advantages are more
than the disadvantages.
Of course,
mining has disadvantages,
but it can bring a
lot of advantages.
It's what we need
to communicate to local people.
(gentle music)
With the EU backing multiple
strategic lithium
mining projects,
Europe seems to
mean business but
mining alone won't
solve the problem.
Without refining capacity,
Europe remains dependent
on third countries like China.
Right now lithium refining
is almost non-existent
across the continent,
but things are changing.
Germany has recently opened
a small semi-refinery,
while the Finnish
company, Metso,
is developing innovative,
cleaner technologies
to refine lithium
from spodumene.
Here we have the spodumene,
a heat-treated spodumene sample
from Finland.
It could be the same
as the Portuguese material.
Yes, absolutely.
This offers an
environmentally-friendly
alternative
to China's dominant
lithium processing method.
Is it unique for Europe
or for the world?
Yes, in many ways.
I would say that this is
Europe's best pilot plant.
Probably the best pilot plant.
Probably the best
pilot plant, yes.
It's still a pilot plant,
but the potential
of this technology is immense,
and the timing couldn't be
more crucial with China's grip
on global lithium refining
showing no signs
of slowing down.
Here we see your pilot reactor,
how big will the real stuff be?
It will be about
1,000 times bigger.
- A thousand times bigger.
- Yes.
What makes this
process so superior
to the conventional
Chinese process?
There are actually two things,
it's the waste generation.
Generally, it's very low and
then water consumption is low
because we are recycling
all the water in the process.
Is this then the European way
to solve the problems?
Absolutely.
This is a game-changing
technology
in lithium hydroxide production.
Since we are not producing any
harmful waste,
it can be all recycled.
We are not producing
sodium sulfate,
which is the issue with the
conventional processing.
Then we also
recycle all the water.
Practically all the
water that we put
in the process is
purified and recycled.
Here in this new
lithium refining process,
they found
the holy grail-type of solution.
Rather than using sulfuric acid
as a leaching agent,
which generates
the sodium sulfate waste stream,
they work with a very simple
product called soda ash.
This soda ash allows you
to get the lithium
out of the spodumene concentrate
and provides you
with a very clean process,
which is almost zero waste.
That's a huge step forward for
lithium refining in
the Western world.
This is the white gold
coming out of your process?
Yes, this is the lithium
product that
can be used now
in electric vehicles.
This is coming out
of your pilot plant.
When will we see the real stuff
coming out of an
industrial plant?
Yes, there is a Keliber
project which
is under construction
in Finland,
and it will start
up in mid-2025.
That would be the first
lithium battery-grade quality
we can produce in Europe.
Yes, that's correct.
In Europe,
we definitely need refineries.
At this moment, we don't really
have any large-scale refineries.
This is something,
we cannot continue like that.
No, I guess this technology
opens up the
possibility to do it
in a sustainable manner also.
You will be conquering
all of Europe?
At least, yes,
and the rest of the world.
(atmospheric music)
To complete a full European mine
to EV value chain,
battery and car manufacturers
should also be included.
In Serbia,
this scenario is unfolding.
Car manufacturer
Stellantis plans
to build its electric
Grande Panda in Serbia.
Additionally, Serbian battery
manufacturer ElevenEs
is prepared to open
new battery factories
in the country when the
lithium mine is operational.
It means a revolution in
economic growth in the country.
Actually, this product you see
here is the first LFP battery
made in Europe
several years ago.
It's lithium-iron-phosphate,
which actually has
lithium carbonate in itself,
which basically connects
the whole value chain.
Jadar will produce the lithium
carbonate for your batteries?
That's the hope for the future,
that we have everything local
and that we basically have
the first LFP value chain
outside of Asia,
present in Europe.
Since now you are dependent on
China for your
lithium carbonate?
That's correct, today everything
is basically coming from China
because it's a single market
where everything is created
from the raw materials
but it's about
to change in the next years.
We have to be smart about it.
If we do the right things,
we will have one of the largest
economic opportunities
of our lifetime.
How many jobs
are we talking about in Serbia?
We're talking about 20,000 jobs.
Twenty thousand?
20,000 new jobs
to be created only
by the battery
value chain industry.
Let's not forget,
it's supporting
the transition to
climate neutrality.
It's absolutely the essence
of climate neutrality.
As you know, this will
not only be used in cars,
this thing will be
used in buses, in
trucks, in construction
machinery,
in your home, in storage,
in large industrial solar parks.
It's the central item
of the energy storage revolution
we're about to face.
(gentle music)
How much material do you
need to produce one EV battery?
In this kind of quarry,
you need around one
meter by one meter,
and then two meters,
two cubic meters.
Then it's around
six tons of material.
6,000 kilograms of
rock for one battery.
One battery.
That is Europe's
lithium paradox, we
have it but we don't
seem to mine it.
Yes, it's like that.
I think that there was a wrong
communication at some point
that people don't understand
that, Europe importing
from China,
it's not an obligation, we
can do it ourselves in Europe,
from mining to the
complete lithium value chain.
The people look at a white rock
and they see a problem.
I see this white
rock as a solution
for the interior of Portugal.
Clearly, Europe
has the technology
to mine, refine,
and recycle lithium.
But the clock is ticking.
The Chinese are not holding back
in the supply chain.
Climate change
is spiralling out of control.
We need to act fast,
while at the
same time respect
local communities
to be part of this storyline.
We need to make haste slowly.
(gentle music)
(atmospheric music)
People often overlook
that everything
that was not born or
grown was once mined.
It might be an inconvenient
truth, but without mining,
there wouldn't be any buildings
or bridges.
No railway tracks or fridges.
No smartphones
or electric buses.
(atmospheric music)
I think I have a piece.
Yes, let's check.
Our fight against climate change
also relies on mining.
Lithium, for example, is a
crucial element for batteries
powering electric mobility
and stationary energy storage.
Seven percent of lithium oxide.
It's not like Europe lacks
lithium in its bedrock.
We have different kinds
of lithium in Europe.
Spodumene like this
that is very important
and lithium as zinnwaldite
in Germany, jadarite in Serbia
and many others.
Is lithium everywhere then?
Yes, Europe could
be self-sufficient
in terms of lithium, for sure.
Why don't we have any
operational mines in Europe?
Yeah, quite interesting.
They just see the disadvantages,
they don't see the advantages.
(vibrant music)
Climate change is the
defining challenge of our time.
To move to a
climate-neutral world,
the total demand for
critical minerals is projected
to triple between
today and 2040.
Of all the critical minerals,
lithium
stands out with
eight-fold growth.
These critical minerals
are vital for wind turbines,
solar panels,
batteries and electric vehicles,
along with many other clean
technologies
essential for advancing
towards a
climate-neutral society.
The International Energy Agency
has calculated
that we need 50 new mines
for lithium by 2030.
In Europe we have
loads of potential,
and yet, in the real world,
we still haven't got
any single operational
lithium mine in Europe itself.
That is a huge paradox for me.
It is a paradox.
As the race for critical
minerals takes center stage
on the global
geopolitical agenda,
Europe can no longer afford
to remain passive.
US President Trump enforced
a critical minerals
for security deal with Ukraine,
while also eyeing
Greenland's untapped resources.
Meanwhile,
China holds significant stakes
in the Democratic
Republic of Congo
and continues
to dominate the lithium market.
Although Australia
and Chile may possess
larger lithium
reserves than China,
the Chinese have
secured almost 60 percent
of the global lithium
refining capacity
and 75 percent
of global battery production.
To avoid sleepwalking into the
abyss, Europe's time
to act is now.
This map corroborates the huge
potential for lithium
mining in Europe.
We have deposits spread from
Portugal right up to Finland.
If you look at the
size of the deposits,
two of the crucial ones
are here in Serbia,
and there in Portugal.
Both of these mines face
quite a lot of opposition,
local opposition
and even national opposition.
Mining is needed,
but not always wanted.
Take Portugal, for example.
A number of locals
in Covas do Barroso
have voiced strong
concerns about
lithium extraction
in their region.
In Serbia,
an EU candidate member state,
protests have been elevated from
the local to the national level.
Many Serbs argue
that the mine will destroy their
environment and agriculture.
It just shows
that Europe's climate targets
often conflict
with local or national demands
for environmental
and cultural preservation.
(atmospheric music)
Doctor Peter Tom
Jones wants to dig
deeper into this
lithium paradox.
That's why he's travelling
to the Barroso region
in the north of Portugal,
where one of the largest lithium
deposits in Europe is situated.
Hello, good evening.
Please.
Jones is the director
of the KU Leuven Institute for
Sustainable Metals and Minerals
in Belgium,
an internationally renowned
interdisciplinary institute
recognized for its
expertise in lithium.
This is a copy of the five-liter
one, it's just a bigger version.
Beyond his academic work,
Jones has spent over 30
years passionately advocating
for a just transition
to a climate-neutral society.
(atmospheric music)
However,
he has come to recognize
that this transition
inevitably requires
the extraction
of critical metals.
This raises an
essential question.
Can mining be
conducted responsibly
and can Europe lead the way
as a global pioneer?
The problem is
that mining has such
a bad reputation
all over the world,
and yet in Europe,
we can do it in a different way.
We can do it in an
ESG-friendly way.
That's what I want to find out,
to see
how it can be done
in a better way.
(atmospheric music)
The first stop on his
journey is Boticas,
where the headquarters of
Savannah Resources are situated.
Savannah is a British
mining company
listed on the London
Stock Exchange.
This junior company has one
mining project in its portfolio,
the controversial
Barroso Lithium Project.
If all goes according to plan,
the first of four open pit mines
will commence
operations in 2027.
The project is going
to have four pits,
and this is just
a representation
of the timeline of the project.
We are going to operate
four pits in sequence.
One by one, and as we open a new
one, we backfill
the previous one.
In the model,
the location of the
first one would be right here.
Then we work on this one.
Then we would come
to this one, and
then finally to
this pit right here.
As you can see, two of the pits
here are already rehabilitated.
The trend in mining is to go
underground towards
invisible mines,
so why did you go for open pits?
From a technical perspective,
the resource is on the surface,
so it doesn't warrant
an underground mine here.
Okay, but I do see villages
which are relatively close
by this open pit in particular.
I guess they're
worried about dust,
noise, vibrations,
and water issues.
How do you deal
with those complaints?
We've already identified
and mapped out a lot of the
concerns from the population,
and you mentioned a few of them.
Of course,
we have mitigation measures
in place to manage and mitigate
and minimize all
of those negative
aspects or negative impacts,
whether it's sound, dust,
or air quality, for example.
We need to see it
before we can believe it,
so let's go to this place
and speak to the people.
(atmospheric music)
The mining activities would
occur in the Barroso region,
an area renowned
for its strong cultural identity
and recognized
as World Agricultural Heritage.
Despite its agricultural
significance,
the region also has a
long tradition of mining.
This region is the tip
of a protected area recognized
for its agricultural heritage,
and what's being
recognized is the
traditional
agricultural practices.
The resistance
will say that you'll
be destroying that way of life.
Those who protest the project
claim that there's a risk
that they're going
to lose that recognition
but it's interesting to
know that that classification,
that recognition
was granted in 2018
with already a series
of mining projects
in the protected area.
It's not at all incompatible,
besides the fact
that we're going to be occupying
a very, very small
portion of that area.
While driving to
Covas do Barroso,
Peter Tom Jones and
Thomas Gaultier pass
through numerous
semi-deserted villages.
The younger generation
of Portugal has
left the northern
part of the country
to pursue education
in coastal cities or abroad,
and they have not returned
due to the lack of jobs.
You reckon the
mine will provide new
economic developments here,
then?
It's definitely
going to create a
stimulation of the
local economy.
With more people coming,
you're going to have more need
for restaurants,
more need for
small grocery stores,
and that's going to
create stimulation.
These mine workers,
they will come
and live in these
houses again then?
They might if the owners are
ready to rent out their house
to the mining community,
to the mining workers.
Yes, absolutely.
It's an absolutely gorgeous
place to live, anyway.
(gentle music)
In my opinion, the nicest
viewpoint in the area.
Here we see the
beautiful valleys,
so where will your pits come?
There are four pits.
The main pit will
be in the second
valley down in that direction,
closer to the little
village of Romainho,
which is 580 meters
from our biggest pit.
Will they see the pit?
They're going to see the pit
to some extent,
especially at the
top levels of the pit.
They're also going to see some
of the waste rock storage
that's going to be there,
but it's going to be quite
hidden in the vegetation
and in the structure
of the landscape.
What's the reaction
of the people there?
Some are not very happy.
This is where the main voices
of protest come from,
from Romainho and
Covas do Barroso.
When I hear Covas do Barroso,
I think about the
resistance I see
in all these newspaper articles.
This is where it comes from,
because people are concerned
and people are afraid,
and that's what makes
the work worthwhile.
I want to go and
speak to these people.
Do you think they will
be willing to speak to me?
I'm sure they're
going to be willing
to engage and share their views
and their position
on this project
because it affects
them and it's normal.
Can I expect a
friendly encounter?
My experience is that
it's always friendly,
if not passionate encounters.
(gentle music)
Finnish researcher,
Toni Eerola, is
accompanying
Jones on this journey.
As a social geologist,
Eerola is investigating
local resistance to the mining
of energy-transition
metals in Europe.
His proficiency in Portuguese
proves particularly useful.
Were making a documentary.
Stop filming! Okay?
If you will use this,
I have a recording too.
However, the meeting
with the local
opposition highlights
the deep distrust
against the project.
I speak portuguese.
You can talk to me.
We know exactly
what you are doing and
what is the
intention of this work.
That's why it's not welcomed.
It's disrespectful to a
community that is struggling,
because of a company
of thieves and liars.
And you come here
to collude with them.
We've already been screwed
a lot of times and we
don't accept people like you.
That's why I
advise you to leave.
Dont challenge me
or youre going to get it.
The researchers are prevented
from freely engaging
with other local residents
in Covas do Barroso,
making it impossible
to accurately gauge
public sentiment
regarding the
lithium mining project.
What is clear is that the
project is highly sensitive,
with some locals feeling that
their livelihoods
are under threat.
(gentle music)
Tony, I was not expecting
this kind of hostility.
How do you explain that?
Yes, I was a little
bit surprised also
but anyway,
we can expect anything
in these kinds of situations.
The emotions were really tough?
Yes,
and that happens in activism.
The emotions, they are a part of
activism, a strong part of that.
They are really convinced
that lithium is a bad thing.
They do not see this as part
of a cleantech transition
to climate neutrality?
Yes, it seems to be
an absolute view.
The problem is that the mine
would be close
to that community,
but then they
refuse to recognize
the green energy transition.
They don't believe in that.
There's also a deliberate
attempt not to engage with us,
and not to give their opinion?
They spoke a lot with us,
but not in front of cameras.
They don't accept it
and refuse totally to do that.
You see a lack of trust
even in scientists like us.
Journalists, government,
researchers,
it's kind of systematic.
If they don't trust us,
what about the company
that is trying to do this?
That's the worst-case scenario
for them to trust a company
that intends to
mine on their lands.
Do you think the community
engagement strategy
of the company can work
in such circumstances?
Not with these people, probably,
but for the rest of
the community, I
think that it's worth
trying to do that.
Yes, we have work to do.
(atmospheric music)
In this historic church
in Mechelen in Belgium,
Jones seeks to find common
ground between civil society,
academia, public authorities,
and the mining industry.
We'll now kick off
with the SLO panel event
on responsible mining in Europe.
The responsible
mining model aims to
transcend past
questionable practices,
focusing on minimizing
environmental harm,
ensuring fair labor conditions
and involving local communities
as real beneficiaries.
Jones challenges the industry
to prove its commitment
to this transformation.
This is a major question that
the Serbian
opposition is posing.
How can any company that goes
for such a project
outside of the European Union
take along the very strict
ESG standards it has to follow
within the European Union?
However, the Social
License to Operate concept
also faces criticism.
Here, the protesters
highlight the
right to say no and stay silent,
letting their banners about
Portugal and
Serbia do the talking.
It's a paradox.
Civil society grapples
with the challenge
of balancing local
community rights
and environmental preservation
with the need to mine metals,
which are essential
for the transition
to a climate-neutral economy.
(atmospheric music)
However, not all
environmental organizations
are opposed to metal mining.
That's a topic addressed
by Julia Poliscanova,
a prominent figure
at Transport and Environment.
There you go.
It's a coalition
of over 60 environmental NGOs
across Europe.
While she acknowledges
the concerns
surrounding the
global mining industry,
she also recognizes
the necessity
of lithium mining in Europe.
You can have different kinds
of environmentalism, right?
You have organizations that are
anti and that
operate by protest,
and you have environmental
organizations that
rely on evidence,
for example, we as T&E, but
also rely very much on engaging.
We engage with politicians,
we engage with companies
to raise the standards of mining
but understand,
and we understand
that we still will
need a lot more
critical minerals
for technologies like
batteries and wind turbines.
You're trying to be constructive
in your environmentalism.
We are constructive
in the way we approach things,
but not scared to
call companies out.
When something's not done right,
we say so.
However, we understand
that only by working together
can we build this resilient
supply chain in Europe.
Still, many environmental
activists
simply don't trust
these mining companies.
They don't trust them,
and sometimes
they also have a
good reason not to.
Historically, we have a
lot of evidence of corruption,
of mismanagement, dirty rivers,
dangerous chemicals, et cetera.
There's also a responsibility
for the mining companies
to break with the past
and do things differently.
Before we delve
into the necessary
changes in the mining industry,
we should also reflect
on our choices as consumers.
Do we really need
to buy an oversized electric SUV
every four years?
Perhaps it's time
to rethink our economic model,
one that promotes circularity
through ecodesign,
thereby reducing our
dependence on mining.
Instead of mining more lithium,
we just need to consume less.
Whether we all use electric cars
or we go by electric bus
or even by train, we will
still need critical minerals.
We'll need them for steel
to make your rail tracks.
For example, or lithium to build
that bigger battery for a bus.
We will still need
a lot of those minerals,
but how much more depends on the
various choices that we make.
T&E has always been
in favor of a modal shift,
so how far can that take us?
We have looked
at it a lot as T&E.
We see that, for example,
if more people took
a smaller electric vehicle
as opposed to a large SUV,
we would need to mine a
quarter less cumulatively
of lithium and nickel by 2050.
That's a lot of mines
we don't have to build.
This primary demand can be
further reduced
by recycling more?
Recycling or broader
circularity is also critical.
Generally, I hope that
we in the world move away
from this linear kind of
extractive model
that we have today
and go to a more circular loop.
We mine lithium and nickel once,
but then we can
constantly recycle it
in a loop to produce
new batteries.
How far can we jump today
with recycled lithium?
One of the key
players is Umicore.
This multinational corporation,
headquartered in Belgium,
has developed an innovative new
technique for
recycling batteries.
(atmospheric music)
Something very special is going
to happen today, I understand.
Yes, it's the very first time
we're ever allowing a film crew
inside the battery smelter.
Is it because it's
a secret process?
It's unique,
and it's a wonderful process.
However,
it remains a pilot plant today
as the volumes are insufficient
to be profitable.
Here we can say a final goodbye
to the battery.
It's the funeral
of the batteries.
Yes, it's the end of
their productive life,
but it's the start
of a new life.
Which type of batteries go
into the smelter?
We can take a high
variety of batteries.
We take batteries
from the early-generation EVs
that are now becoming
end of life, not used anymore.
We also take
quite a bit of cells
that have quality issues
during manufacturing.
This is a proper
industrial pilot.
How much feed do you need
to have a really
commercially-viable
industrial factory?
We operate at a capacity
of 7,000 tons per year,
which is equivalent
to roughly 20,000 EV batteries.
Our ambition is to scale up
with capacities
that are 10 or 20 times bigger.
When will those
volumes be available?
We believe that in the
next decade, in the 2030s
that the end-of-life
market will pick up
and we have a role to play
with such an installation.
What's very
important is that the
volumes that will
be on the market
then will also be
available to us as recyclers
because today a majority of
these volumes
are leaving Europe.
You're saying
that they are leaving Europe?
They are leaving Europe
because Asian players are much
more competitive to take them,
and Europe still needs to invest
in higher-capacity installations
with lower costs.
People are hesitating
to put on these investments
because we lack a clear,
coherent policy to support them.
The European Union
still has a lot of work to do.
We're appealing very strongly
to policymakers in Europe
to make it happen,
and not just in a few years from
now, the time to act is now.
It's time to visit
the smelter with
a camera crew
and a flying drone,
the first time ever.
What are we seeing here now?
What's happening?
When the batteries touch the
molten bath inside this furnace,
something truly magical happens.
In a matter of seconds,
the critical raw materials,
lithium,
nickel, cobalt are liberated
from their original compounds,
and they're pushed
into separate,
high quality products, actually.
Nickel, cobalt will be collected
in the alloy,
which is now
tapped into the pot.
Then lithium is pushed
into the gaseous state
and we capture it
as a salt basically
in the flue dust off-gas system.
What are the main
advantages here, then?
The main advantages
are that it's safe by design.
We don't need to
open up any battery.
It's super efficient, high yield
of the critical raw materials,
and it's most sustainable.
Low carbon footprint,
less waste, less chemicals.
Is this a really
world-unique process?
Absolutely.
This is a process
that's invented
and developed here
in the center of Europe.
Do you think the Chinese want
to copy this process?
We know that they
want to copy it.
They are very interested
to learn about this technology.
We have Chinese
customers as well,
so we're in touch with them,
anyway.
All great news, but in China,
new, more affordable types
of batteries are emerging.
The so-called LFP batteries
or lithium-iron-phosphate,
which do not contain
cobalt or nickel.
If this battery becomes
the new standard,
current recycling technologies
could face significant pressure.
- Oh, here we have it.
- Yes.
Look at this,
this is the white gold.
This is industrially produced
Technical-grade
lithium carbonate.
It's fully recycled.
Fully from spent batteries.
Is that a solution for
our lithium supply?
We will need mining
for the foreseeable future,
but recycling is a key addition,
a key strategic component
for Europe to be more
independent and more sustainable
for its future mobility.
So, you can't recycle your way
out of the fossil-fuel economy?
You have to first produce them
and then recycle them.
Even with a major modal shift
in transportation
and a significant boost in
lithium-ion battery recycling,
some primary lithium mining
will still be necessary
to achieve a
climate-neutral economy.
This aligns with the EU's
Critical Raw Materials Act,
which sets ambitious targets.
At least 10 percent of lithium
is sourced from domestic mining,
40 percent refined
within the EU,
and 25 percent
recycled domestically.
In the European Parliament,
Jones meets German MEP
Hildegard Bentele,
who has played a
pivotal role in shaping
and refining
the Critical Raw Materials Act,
where lithium remains
a central focus.
How important is the lithium
supply chain for Europe?
It is very important
because we are super
dependent currently
from one supplier,
which is China.
We have to face
the situation that
the supply chain is interrupted.
China could hit
us hard by stopping
lithium imports from China.
We want to prepare
for this situation.
That means domestic mining
and refining in Europe.
So that we have
a current inflow of
potential battery
production in Europe.
Still, there is so
much opposition.
There's a lot of
hypocrisy in it because
if they saw the
conditions under which
lithium is mined in China
or in other places in the world,
the standards are much lower.
Actually, they are blocking
high-standard lithium mining.
For the purpose, what they want,
which is to have
cleaner transport,
a cleaner environment.
This is what we are aiming for.
They also do not see that
we have high tech in mining.
Jones witnessed
first-hand how mining
Jones witnessed
first-hand how mining
in the Nordic countries
is conducted more responsibly,
and has evolved
into a highly advanced industry,
featuring electric trucks
and autonomous vehicles
powered by green electricity.
Moreover, mining at depths
beyond 1,000 meters underground
bears little resemblance
to the hazardous and polluting
coal mining of the past.
What's happening here?
The sector has undergone a
remarkable digital
transformation.
This is where we load
and work with the hydraulic
stone knockers using joysticks,
Xbox and
PlayStation controllers.
PlayStation at
1,400 meters depth?
Yes.
Perhaps this explains
why the Keliber lithium mining
and refining project
in the Kaustinen
region in Finland
faces so little opposition.
The company plans
to begin mining in 2026.
A similar situation exists
in central France,
where Imerys aims to expand
its existing kaolinite mine
into an underground
lepidolite lithium operation.
Opposition
to this project remains minimal.
Both of these
projects were granted
the Strategic Project status
by the EU in March 2025.
Despite the protests, the Mina
do Barroso project in Portugal
has also been labelled
a Strategic Project.
We are seeing a lot of
deindustrialization in Europe.
Can this lithium supply chain
counteract that?
Yes, it can, because we have
seen that the mining sector,
which was in decline,
with these kind of projects,
can be revived
and can be made
into a new ecosystem.
It's not only mining,
it's processing,
it's refining, it's recycling.
We have the chance to establish
a completely new ecosystem,
which is future-proven, but if
we do not act now to revive it,
soon, it will really
be in decline
and will go away from Europe.
The European Union
is expanding its search
for lithium outside
of its own borders.
It has signed a strategic
partnership with Serbia,
home to Europe's largest and
most valuable lithium deposit,
a resource capable of supplying
batteries for one
million electric cars
or 200,000 electric
buses annually.
However,
the planned lithium mine
in Serbia's fertile Jadar Valley
has sparked massive protests.
What started as local opposition
rapidly grew into a
nationwide movement.
Shifting from Not In My Backyard
to Not In My Country.
Rio Tinto, get out of Serbia!
Get out of Serbia!
The contested British Australian
mining company, Rio Tinto,
which intends to
invest 2.3 billion Euros
in this major
underground lithium operation,
is facing unprecedented
resistance.
The ore found in the region,
known as jadarite,
was officially classified
as a new mineral in 2004.
It's here, we see examples of
the drill cores
and the jadarite.
If you look at this core,
the white dots that you
see here are the jadarite.
Compared to other lithium
ores present in Europe,
such as spodumene
in Portugal, Spain, and Finland,
lepidolite in France,
or zinnwaldite in Germany
and the Czech Republic,
jadarite is easier to process.
It does not require
energy-intensive
thermal pretreatment
or extremely harsh
chemical conditions.
From a purely
environmental perspective,
jadarite processing would
not pose more but fewer risks,
according to
metallurgical experts.
Here we see the valley.
The now-famous Jadar Valley.
From here, you can see where we
intend, if everything goes well,
to build the Jadar project.
If you look at that line
and maybe I can explain it here,
we are talking about
a surface area
of 220 hectares above ground.
- No, that's not big.
- It's not big?
If you think about, for example,
the Kolubara mine
in another part of Serbia,
which is an open-pit mine,
that's 60,000 hectares.
- You must be joking.
- No.
That's just the
footprint you see on top.
Yes.
That's the benefit you get
from an underground mine.
If you look at this picture,
imagine that this
is that area here.
The mine is underground, you
don't see it, you see only...
- It's an invisible mine.
- Yes, exactly.
It's an invisible mine,
which is completely underground.
Everything around the mine
remains the same.
It is a very modern
mine that will
be operated from a control room.
Everything will be controlled
electronically.
When you think about Jadar,
the area that maybe people
will see from this point,
if Jadar is built,
is rather small.
Everything around the area
and around the fence
will continue to
be the way it is
because we will
make sure that the
farming exists exactly the same.
There is no land subsidence.
Still,
there are so many protests.
Yes, there are protests.
Unfortunately, the narrative has
been based on disinformation,
and what we are
struggling with is
actually to see a
fact-based dialogue
and discussion about
the merits of this project.
(tense music)
During the interview, members
of the local resistance group,
Ne Damo Jadar keep passing by,
filming the Serbian
head of Rio Tinto
while making
their feelings clear.
You are wasting your time it
is useless what you are doing.
There is nothing for you here,
this is our living space.
We will defend
this with our lives.
If you want blood to flow,
you can get it.
Why are these local farmers
so vehemently opposed
to the Jadar project?
Ne Damo Jadar,
meaning we Won't Give Up Jadar,
is unwavering in its
resistance against Rio Tinto,
and it's clear
that they will not back down.
What is your main concern with
this lithium project
by Rio Tinto?
There is no concern,
there will be no mine.
Our job is to gather
as many people as possible
to bring 200,000
people out in the
streets and they
will have to leave.
The president wants
the mining project to happen.
The president wants
the mine to be opened
because he is the key lobbyist
for Rio Tinto.
Are you afraid of environmental
pollution? Is that
the main cause?
If the mine comes,
there would be no life here.
Isn't it sad that you
have these huge
lithium resources
in this country,
and you can't use them
to become rich in this country?
Europe would get rich.
They would get lithium batteries
and a healthy environment.
They would be the ones driving
around in the electric vehicles,
and Serbia would become
Europes landfill,
and we would suffer from
various diseases like cancer.
(atmospheric music)
It's striking to
see the lengths to
which Ne Damo
Jadar is prepared to go
to halt the lithium mine.
We are ready to
sacrifice our lives
in the fight against Rio Tinto.
What do you mean
by sacrificing your own life?
We will lie down
in front of the excavators.
We will burn them
and do whatever it takes.
Rio Tinto get out of Serbia.
In Serbia, the local protest
by Ne Damo Jadar has grown into
a massive national movement,
attracting a diverse array of
opponents against
the mining project.
Is it possible that behind these
doors people sit
who are only focused
on their mandate?
The opposition is
remarkably diverse.
Local farmers, urban
environmentalists,
Belgrade scientists
and Serbian nationalists
all united against the project.
In Belgrade, Jones meets
anthropologist
Jelena Vasiljevic,
who may shed some light on why
so many Serbs oppose the mine.
How do you explain
these complex,
massive protests
here in Belgrade?
Part of it is that it's against
the mining of lithium.
Part of it has to do with that
and with different arguments
about why the Jadar project
is complicated.
The complex part of it has to do
with the dissatisfaction
with this political regime
and how this whole process
has been conducted
in non-transparent
and non-democratic ways.
Many grievances
are actually being articulated
in this protest.
The lack of trust in the
government here is very loud.
It's very clear.
Where is it coming from?
We also have bad experiences
with previous projects.
We had many other projects that
were declared of
national interest,
and they were all conducted
in non-transparent
and non-democratic ways.
If Rio Tinto were a
Serbian company,
do you think the project
would have been okay?
Partially it has to do with
the bad history of Rio Tinto.
That is true,
it's not only about the economy.
It's not only about how you
use sustainable raw materials.
It's what you
politically do with it.
This is why people
are distrustful
and I would say they are right.
Anthropologist Jelena Vasiljevic
attributes the growing unrest
to the current regime,
which, according to her
and many protesters,
is sliding towards autocracy
under President Vui.
This is evident in the harsh
suppression of
protests in Belgrade
and the unlawful arrests
of many activists.
The movement continues
to gain momentum
with the support of
thousands of Serbian students.
The Jadar lithium project
has become deeply intertwined
with the political
opposition to Vui.
Should there be a referendum
on this project?
No, a referendum,
I don't think it's a good idea
because a referendum is always
dependent on how
you frame the question.
Then you get the
Brexit discussions.
Not only that, the political
climate then takes a lot.
The political
climate is important
and you also have
to have an informed public.
How can you have a referendum
when citizens aren't
informed enough?
Now they're staging something
that looks like an open debate,
even though we know
that everything is already done.
We needed to be
more prepared for that.
(atmospheric music)
Is the deep distrust
in Rio Tinto's lithium project
based on genuine concerns,
or is it also fuelled
by disinformation,
allegedly spread to
serve political goals
such as ousting President
Vui's autocratic regime?
Rio Tinto claims that fake
news plays a significant role.
At their information
center in Loznica,
they've even set
up a fake-news wall.
You see a lot of photos
of open-pit mines.
We know this is an
underground mine,
and it will not look like that.
You see the explosions, which
are connected to the open pits,
and how people are scared.
Here you have information
that we will use sulphuric acid
at 250 degrees,
which is not true.
We're using it at 90 degrees
as anyone can see
from the information
publicly available.
That we will destroy the water
sources for 85 million people,
which is underground in Jadar.
It is very easy to say something
like you will burn the skin
and lungs of people because
you will have sulfuric rains,
which is completely not true,
but explaining the technology
and how you use
the sulfuric acid takes time.
It's easy to throw
the mud at someone,
but it's difficult
to clean the shirt again.
It takes much longer, it's the
Second Law of Thermodynamics.
What do you then do about this?
What is your strategy?
The first thing is
that we plan community meetings
to meet with the
community face-to-face.
We've met more than 3,000
people so far in the past year,
and we've committed
to radical transparency.
That is, we put all the
information on our web page,
respond to all media inquiries,
and
rebut everything
that's fake news.
(atmospheric music)
Misinformation, disinformation,
and the lack of
trust are also issues
Savannah claims
to be struggling with.
In Portugal, lithium is
often perceived as toxic
despite ongoing
lithium mining in the region,
albeit not for
battery production.
Okay, so this is the NOA pit,
which is currently
being operated
for the purpose of
extracting lithium
and quartz and feldspar for
the ceramics industry right now.
Basically,
there is already lithium mining.
Exactly, there is lithium mining
happening right in front of us.
Why do people think
it's toxic, then?
It's issues of perception.
It's issues of perception
because people don't understand
what lithium is.
They don't understand
how it's transformed
to become a battery,
for example.
They're very much unaware
of the fact that
they're in contact
with lithium on a daily basis.
If we look at a ceramic cup,
people drink coffee,
every day they put
lithium to their lips.
The rock that's
used to make this
ceramic could have
come from this mine.
That's one of the major
challenges that we have
in our engagement
with the community.
It's trying to clarify
any misunderstandings,
using facts in order to explain
exactly what you just said.
There's already
lithium being mined
here and in other
parts of Portugal,
and it's not different from
what we're going to be doing,
except we're going to be
doing it at a larger scale.
Fighting feelings with
facts is not an easy method.
It's not easy.
As long as we
keep giving facts and
we build trust with
the communities,
those feelings are going to
become feelings
of understanding,
acknowledgment, and
hopefully acceptance one day.
(gentle music)
Building trust with
local communities
remains a significant challenge
in Portugal.
In Dornelas,
another nearby civil parish
where the mine is
set to be developed,
residents can speak more freely
than in Covas do Barroso,
allowing Jones to hear a
wider range of perspectives.
Do you think this project is
an opportunity for the villages?
I am not against it,
I can't see that
it would bring
something bad here.
When things come here
we're probably already gone.
Okay, thanks.
It will affect the
life in the villages,
and it will have
impact on our water.
They will probably
need our water.
We are trying to
minimize the water use.
This is what we are doing for
our food, animals, everything.
What is the opinion
here in Dornelas,
is the majority for or against?
It varies, there are people
against and in
favor of the mine,
but I think that here in
Dornelas,
and the Dornelas parish,
there is a part
which is in favor of
it, and the majority
is in favor of it.
I don't know about
the rest of the
people because many
are also against it.
We live in a region
with a rich mining past.
What are your major concerns
about this project?
My major concerns
are with water tables.
That concerns me a lot.
- Water?
- Yes.
In southern European countries
like Portugal,
water usage is a major concern.
With frequent forest fires,
locals worry if there
will be enough water left
for agriculture.
One of the main concerns
I hear all the time
is that you're going
to use so much water,
and this region
doesn't have any water.
Actually this region
has a lot of water.
It rains a lot in this region,
and rain is where
we're going to be
collecting our
water for this mine.
We won't collect
water from the river,
and we're not
going to be ejecting
any kind of water
into the river.
We're going to
be using rainwater
through water retention systems
over here, over here, and over
here, to collect the rainwater,
which will be used
to supply the mine.
Will you then recycle the water
once it's in the system?
Absolutely, it's going to be
working in a closed circuit
where 85 percent
of the water used will
be recycled and
reused into the mine.
Why are you losing
15 percent then?
15 percent
is lost through evaporation,
and is also lost through
the humidity of the material
that's transported
out of the mine.
(atmospheric music)
With the urgent need
to mitigate climate change,
the mining industry
has been given
a crucial role in human history.
However, to avoid
repeating past mistakes,
continuous dialogue
with local communities
and civil society is essential.
A future mine?
No, thank you!
In the Barroso region,
such a dialogue
has been challenging so far,
but things are
starting to change.
Early 2025, a new association,
Associao Futuro
do Barroso has been founded.
This association,
which also includes members
from the Covas do
Barroso village itself,
does not take a position
for or against the project.
Instead, the organization is
dedicated to fostering dialogue
and collaborative
solutions towards
a responsible mining project.
We know and are aware
that lithium mining will bring
some difficulties
and problems to the
municipality. But we must know
how to transfer
these difficulties into
great opportunities
for development.
(atmospheric music)
In Serbia, skepticism
and distrust still prevail.
However,
there may be a solution to
overcoming Serbia's
lithium paradox.
In countries where trust
in the government is low,
involving a third-party auditor
could be a crucial step forward.
I believe they already do so
because I think if you do want
to produce any of your reports
for environmental impact
assessment, for example,
you need to have
third-party assessments.
I do think it would be very
helpful to engage with IRMA,
the Initiative for Responsible
Mining Assurance,
and to undergo a self-audit.
Following that, a proper audit
because it would really show
to the global NGO community,
first of all, transparently,
how they're doing things
and secondly, that they
are trying to do things better.
IRMA has developed comprehensive
standards for
responsible mining.
These standards address key
areas such as
business integrity,
environmental stewardship,
social responsibility,
and community engagement.
They were created
in collaboration
with civil society
organizations,
workers, environmental
groups and industry experts.
IRMA could build
up trust in that way?
IRMA can help with
the global community
to show that their intentions
are going in the
right direction.
If the EU wants
to evolve to mining practices
that are genuinely supported
by the public,
IRMA could serve as a key source
of inspiration for an improved
rather than weakened legislative
framework for mining in Europe.
(gentle music)
For Professor Lima
from the University of Porto,
the situation is clear.
Mining could give Portugal
and Europe a well-needed boost
in a rapidly changing
geopolitical world.
He hopes NIMBY can be
gradually replaced by PIMBY,
from Not In My Backyard
to Please In My Backyard.
To mine or not to mine,
that is now the question
for the Portuguese people.
As you said, yes, we have the
best resources in spodumene,
and spodumene is being mined for
50 years for the
lithium industry.
- It's proven technology.
- It's a proven technology.
It's something that works,
really,
and it's an
opportunity for Portugal
to take advantage
of these resources
to try to do the lithium value
chain from mining
to the refinery
and then we have a very nice
automobile industry in Portugal.
Lithium has the power
to bring the Portuguese
back to this country.
These villages that
we were seeing,
when I started to work here,
they had many more people.
Their population
is now decreasing.
I see this not as a threat,
but as an opportunity
to bring some people to these
areas, to live here
with families,
to work here in industry.
It's an opportunity.
Portugal is now at a crossroads,
you go either left
or you go right.
Do you think it will happen?
I believe that in some of
the places it will happen
because the people
will understand
that the advantages are more
than the disadvantages.
Of course,
mining has disadvantages,
but it can bring a
lot of advantages.
It's what we need
to communicate to local people.
(gentle music)
With the EU backing multiple
strategic lithium
mining projects,
Europe seems to
mean business but
mining alone won't
solve the problem.
Without refining capacity,
Europe remains dependent
on third countries like China.
Right now lithium refining
is almost non-existent
across the continent,
but things are changing.
Germany has recently opened
a small semi-refinery,
while the Finnish
company, Metso,
is developing innovative,
cleaner technologies
to refine lithium
from spodumene.
Here we have the spodumene,
a heat-treated spodumene sample
from Finland.
It could be the same
as the Portuguese material.
Yes, absolutely.
This offers an
environmentally-friendly
alternative
to China's dominant
lithium processing method.
Is it unique for Europe
or for the world?
Yes, in many ways.
I would say that this is
Europe's best pilot plant.
Probably the best pilot plant.
Probably the best
pilot plant, yes.
It's still a pilot plant,
but the potential
of this technology is immense,
and the timing couldn't be
more crucial with China's grip
on global lithium refining
showing no signs
of slowing down.
Here we see your pilot reactor,
how big will the real stuff be?
It will be about
1,000 times bigger.
- A thousand times bigger.
- Yes.
What makes this
process so superior
to the conventional
Chinese process?
There are actually two things,
it's the waste generation.
Generally, it's very low and
then water consumption is low
because we are recycling
all the water in the process.
Is this then the European way
to solve the problems?
Absolutely.
This is a game-changing
technology
in lithium hydroxide production.
Since we are not producing any
harmful waste,
it can be all recycled.
We are not producing
sodium sulfate,
which is the issue with the
conventional processing.
Then we also
recycle all the water.
Practically all the
water that we put
in the process is
purified and recycled.
Here in this new
lithium refining process,
they found
the holy grail-type of solution.
Rather than using sulfuric acid
as a leaching agent,
which generates
the sodium sulfate waste stream,
they work with a very simple
product called soda ash.
This soda ash allows you
to get the lithium
out of the spodumene concentrate
and provides you
with a very clean process,
which is almost zero waste.
That's a huge step forward for
lithium refining in
the Western world.
This is the white gold
coming out of your process?
Yes, this is the lithium
product that
can be used now
in electric vehicles.
This is coming out
of your pilot plant.
When will we see the real stuff
coming out of an
industrial plant?
Yes, there is a Keliber
project which
is under construction
in Finland,
and it will start
up in mid-2025.
That would be the first
lithium battery-grade quality
we can produce in Europe.
Yes, that's correct.
In Europe,
we definitely need refineries.
At this moment, we don't really
have any large-scale refineries.
This is something,
we cannot continue like that.
No, I guess this technology
opens up the
possibility to do it
in a sustainable manner also.
You will be conquering
all of Europe?
At least, yes,
and the rest of the world.
(atmospheric music)
To complete a full European mine
to EV value chain,
battery and car manufacturers
should also be included.
In Serbia,
this scenario is unfolding.
Car manufacturer
Stellantis plans
to build its electric
Grande Panda in Serbia.
Additionally, Serbian battery
manufacturer ElevenEs
is prepared to open
new battery factories
in the country when the
lithium mine is operational.
It means a revolution in
economic growth in the country.
Actually, this product you see
here is the first LFP battery
made in Europe
several years ago.
It's lithium-iron-phosphate,
which actually has
lithium carbonate in itself,
which basically connects
the whole value chain.
Jadar will produce the lithium
carbonate for your batteries?
That's the hope for the future,
that we have everything local
and that we basically have
the first LFP value chain
outside of Asia,
present in Europe.
Since now you are dependent on
China for your
lithium carbonate?
That's correct, today everything
is basically coming from China
because it's a single market
where everything is created
from the raw materials
but it's about
to change in the next years.
We have to be smart about it.
If we do the right things,
we will have one of the largest
economic opportunities
of our lifetime.
How many jobs
are we talking about in Serbia?
We're talking about 20,000 jobs.
Twenty thousand?
20,000 new jobs
to be created only
by the battery
value chain industry.
Let's not forget,
it's supporting
the transition to
climate neutrality.
It's absolutely the essence
of climate neutrality.
As you know, this will
not only be used in cars,
this thing will be
used in buses, in
trucks, in construction
machinery,
in your home, in storage,
in large industrial solar parks.
It's the central item
of the energy storage revolution
we're about to face.
(gentle music)
How much material do you
need to produce one EV battery?
In this kind of quarry,
you need around one
meter by one meter,
and then two meters,
two cubic meters.
Then it's around
six tons of material.
6,000 kilograms of
rock for one battery.
One battery.
That is Europe's
lithium paradox, we
have it but we don't
seem to mine it.
Yes, it's like that.
I think that there was a wrong
communication at some point
that people don't understand
that, Europe importing
from China,
it's not an obligation, we
can do it ourselves in Europe,
from mining to the
complete lithium value chain.
The people look at a white rock
and they see a problem.
I see this white
rock as a solution
for the interior of Portugal.
Clearly, Europe
has the technology
to mine, refine,
and recycle lithium.
But the clock is ticking.
The Chinese are not holding back
in the supply chain.
Climate change
is spiralling out of control.
We need to act fast,
while at the
same time respect
local communities
to be part of this storyline.
We need to make haste slowly.
(gentle music)