Scholz in Belgrade: Discussing Lithium

Three facts that explain everything: Serbia has strategic deposits of lithium and will be able to produce 58,000 thousand tons per year. In total, this quantity is considered sufficient to supply batteries for 1.1 million electric vehicles. That means, Serbia alone will be able to support about 17% of the European electric vehicle market.

This was announced by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who will host on July 19 in Belgrade German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the guest of honor, along with European Commission Vice President and Energy Union Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, at the International Conference on Strategic Raw Materials.

In recent months, Serbian authorities have “revived” the issue of exploitation of the rich lithium deposit, postponed in recent years due to “massive popular protests organized over concerns about the environmental impact of such a project.” In the context of the energy transition, both President Vucic and Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic confirmed their interest in developing a lithium mine. This mineral is in high demand for batteries in electric cars, which could be a great opportunity for economic growth and development in the Balkan country. The Serbian government guaranteed that production “will be carried out with full respect for the environmental balance and the health of citizens.”

So, without wasting time, Vucic said that during Scholz’s visit, Serbia wants to sign a declaration of intent with the European Union on an agreement on lithium deposits in the country. In an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Vucic emphasized his intention to “preserve the entire value chain in Serbia,” while acknowledging the fact that “Belgrade will still have to make concessions to Brussels.” Vucic promised that “smaller quantities will go to Germany. The rest will come from the production of catalytic converters and lithium batteries, which will be produced in Serbia.” To “stimulate” Scholz not to think twice, Vucic recalled that “the Chinese also very clearly expressed their interest in access to lithium deposits, but we told them that we are discussing this problem with the Europeans because we are loyal to Europe.”