Serbia has one of the largest deposits of lithium in the world that could satisfy a significant part of the global and European lithium for this mineral. Richard Story from Rio Tinto speaks about Jadar project.
The company “Rio Tinto” is a global leader in the area of ore minerals and metal products, with the strategy of investment in the large and long-term mining projects. Company employs tens of thousands of people in more than 40 countries on all continents and deals with the exploration of iron , aluminum, copper, diamond, lithium, zircons and borate, said Richard Story, general director of the company “Rio Tinto” for Serbia. He presented the company and the project “Jadar”, which is realized in Serbia, on the Third International Conference on mineral resources.
“Jadar” is the leading project of the company “Rio Tinto” In Serbia and currently is in phase of the feasibility study drafting. Serbian and American geologists discovered deposit of Jadar in 2004. Research has shown that the Jadar valley has one of the largest lithium deposit in the world, which could satisfy a significant part of global and European needs for the lithium. In addition of “Jadar,” Rio Tinto in Serbia develops four more project of great potential for which is the holder of a research license.
Jadarite is a unique Serbian mineral which simultaneously contains bor and lithium ore, necessary for a modern household and commercial products. Their broad application is possible in information technologies, civil engineering and agriculture. Borate minerals are the key ingredient in a wide spectrum of commercial and home products. Lithium is used for making of accumulators, computesr, mobile phones and the industrial system.
The company has invested 65mmillions dollars in pilot-project facilities for processing. The study of pilot-plants is carried out by the US company “Boraks”, in order to set the processing method and plant’s size which will be built in Serbia. The first production of boron acid and lithium carbonates products during the last summer consider as a major success in the company “Rio Tinto”.
Global demand for lithium could be doubled in the period until the 2017, according to market outlook which has developed the company„Roskil Information Services”, and it is in a major part due to the expected growth of the rechargeable battery production. Besides, assumption is that demand for other products as those on the lithium basis, as ceramics, glass, lubricants, aluminum, pharmaceutical and chemical products and polymers will remain stable.
Source; Serbia Energy mining desk
