Rio Tinto’s Response to Misinformation Regarding the Jadar Project Published on Al Jazeera Balkans Portal
In the article titled "Lithium Mining in the Balkans: 'If It Endangers Life, What's the Talk about Development, Money, Employment,'" published by Al Jazeera Balkans on May 31st, scientifically unfounded claims were made that could mislead readers regarding the Jadar Project. Rio Tinto Company requests that facts be published to refute the disputed claims following the law.
The mentioned article includes a statement by Prof. Dr Ratko Ristić from the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade that the "ultimate conclusion" of a study conducted by "Biological faculties from Belgrade and Niš, the Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković,' the Natural History Museum, and another institution" is that "the project should be abandoned because it will erase the network of life." This claim has been publicly refuted, among other places, in the debate show "Takovska 10: Are We Ready for a Lithium Debate" aired on RTS1 on April 16th. One of the participants was Prof. Dr. Ratko Ristić himself, from which it can be reasonably concluded that this is a deliberately disseminated falsehood aimed at deceiving the public. In the same show, it was publicly announced that the actual ultimate conclusion of the mentioned study is that "if measures are consistently implemented and there are no unforeseen events during their implementation and application, the impact of the landfill and industrial waste on the Štavica River will be reduced to a tolerable level," and that "no significant pollution of the Jadar River and groundwater can be expected." Despite being publicly informed about the actual conclusions of the study he is referring to, Prof. Dr. Ratko Ristić continues to mislead the public by disseminating inaccurate information.
Claims that the Jadar Project would endanger "450 plant and animal species, including 145 protected ones," are completely scientifically unfounded. The fact is that the construction zone of the underground mine involves a change in land use – thus, habitats existing in that area before construction would be transformed. This by no means implies that species identified in those zones would permanently disappear from the biodiversity map, as can be inferred from claims that the "network of life would be erased." During the project's implementation, special attention would be paid to the protection of endangered species, primarily through cooperation with nature conservation experts and the implementation of regular monitoring of selected plant and animal species (bioindicator species) to prevent any potential ecosystem disturbances in the project area. Mechanisms for compensation for reducing identified impacts are foreseen in the project: compensation according to the regulation on compensatory measures, establishment of new habitats, rehabilitation of nearby protected areas, and implementation of value-added projects for selected species. Unfortunately, the text does not mention any of these measures.
The article states: "We had a story that Rio Tinto would do this according to a unique patent, with original technologies and without endangering the environment," and that "Rio Tinto has been unable to obtain approval for the mentioned patent for years, while in Serbia, it presents it under the pretext of – business secret." Mentioning a patent in the context of the Jadar Project directly proves that there is a clear intention to deceive the public by disseminating inaccurate information. A patent is a legal-commercial, not a scientific-technological category, and patent approval is not related to the technical assessment of the process, as incorrectly interpreted in the article.
Rio Tinto Company consistently, publicly, and transparently supports the fundamental thesis of the article that environmental protection is a basic prerequisite for the realization of the Jadar Project, one of the most promising and best-researched lithium deposits in Europe. Accordingly, Rio Tinto’s position is that the Jadar Project can and must be realized only with absolute respect for the laws on environmental protection of the Republic of Serbia and the highest EU standards and regulations. Additionally, without adhering to the highest environmental standards, the project would be economically unviable, as the European Union is introducing a battery passport, or digital certificate containing data on the origin and sustainability of materials used in the production process of batteries for electric vehicles. All leading car manufacturers have accepted this approach, and mining companies will not be able to sell raw materials unless they meet the highest environmental standards. Discussions about the economic aspects of the Project, which are significant, can only take place once it is unequivocally established that it can be realized according to the highest environmental standards.
The Jadar Project has been the subject of a continuous negative campaign against the Rio Tinto Company and the Jadar Project for several years, with the dissemination of false information and inaccurate claims and conclusions misleading the public of Serbia and the region. This time, Al Jazeera Balkans has joined this campaign without giving the company the opportunity to respond to these false and scientifically unfounded claims.
Rio Tinto Company is available for dialogue with all interested parties who truly want to have a fact-based conversation to fully understand the Jadar Project, environmental protection measures, and the benefits it could bring. We are available to journalists and editors of Al Jazeera Balkans to provide them with accurate information about the Jadar Project and Rio Tinto’s operations.
Rebuttal of statements that do not directly relate to the Jadar Project
Denying the significance of lithium for the implementation of the green energy transition based on the claim that "there is nothing of paramount importance because the Chinese have already made cars with sodium-ion batteries" is yet another attempt to mislead the readers of Al Jazeera Balkans. Sodium-ion batteries are not an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, and this is a clear case of misrepresentation. The prevailing opinion in the industry is that sodium-ion batteries will not replace lithium-ion batteries anytime soon and that these two types of batteries are primarily complementary, each with its place in the market. Due to significantly lower energy density compared to lithium batteries, the application of sodium-ion batteries has a much shorter range and is only possible in electric vehicles with lower speeds such as small city cars or scooters, with their primary purpose being stationary energy storage. Additionally, the latest technology of so-called solid-state batteries also relies on lithium. This new generation of batteries aims to ensure a longer lifespan, greater range, and faster battery charging. On the other hand, the demand for lithium batteries continues to grow. In Europe alone, between 2023 and 2030, demand for lithium for batteries is expected to increase by 300%, which unequivocally refutes the claims made. Lithium-ion batteries are the cornerstone of the green energy transition and will be in use for decades.
Statements suggesting that "mining lithium and other minerals in the Balkans, which the world possesses on various meridians where it is a banned topic" and that "developed Western countries are maximizing the conservation of their natural resources" while "Latin America, Africa, and the Balkans are certainly third world countries" are directly contrary to the statement in the text that "the European Union has adopted a law on critical mineral resources" and that "each EU member state needs to contribute to the energy transition by opening mines on its territory, around 10 per cent." According to this law, which came into force on May 23 of this year, all member states are obliged to conduct their geological surveys on their territory, map potential new deposits, and open new mines of critical raw materials through an accelerated procedure. By opening mines outside the EU territory, member states cannot compensate for their obligation to contribute to the energy stability and independence of the EU by opening mines on their territory, as incorrectly suggested in the text. Similar incentives for opening mines on their territory have been adopted by numerous other countries, including the USA, where there are currently dozens of mining projects in the development phase, and the newly discovered McDermitt deposit on the border between Oregon and Nevada could be among the largest in the world.
Environmental Protection Studies for the Jadar Project
Environmental Impact Studies for the Jadar Project have been conducted at the highest level of quality and following European and international standards for such studies. More than 100 domestic and international independent experts, including 40 university professors from over 10 faculties and scientific institutions, have conducted since 2015 a total of 23,000 biological, physical, and chemical analyses of soil, water, and air. In three separate studies, the potential impact on the environment of the underground mine, ore processing plant, and industrial waste landfill was analyzed independently. Each of them also includes an overview of the cumulative impacts of the entire project because we aim to clearly present to the public the overall potential environmental impacts.