Portugal’s Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday gave the green light for a huge lithium mine. The mine could become the largest in Western Europe and give a boost to the continent’s growing electric car industry. The southern European country is said to have the continent’s largest lithium deposits, a key raw material for making batteries that power electric vehicles. (Ntv: 31.05.23).
Europe’s lithium supply: Positive development for the Barroso project in Portugal
With lithium mined mainly in Australia and South America and China dominating the supply chain, the Environment Agency’s decision could help Europe’s efforts to secure an independent supply of the coveted commodity. The agency said the Barroso project in northern Portugal, owned by British group Savannah Resources, had received a positive environmental impact statement under several conditions.
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Controversy over lithium project in Portugal: environmental permit despite criticism
The original proposal was significantly modified to protect waterways and biodiversity, the agency said in a statement. Savannah Resources said the approval was a “key decision” that would allow the project to move to the next stage of the environmental permitting process. “This is an extremely important step forward, not only for the development of the project, but also for the development of the lithium resource industry in Portugal,” Savannah chief executive Dale Ferguson said.
Environmentalists and residents opposed to the project in the rural area criticised the authority’s decision. The chosen site was “not good” because it was close to populated areas and posed “pollution risks”, said Francisco Ferreira, president of the environmental group Zero.
Portugal on the way to independent lithium supply: Positive decision for project despite concerns
Environment Minister Duarte Cordeiro tried to allay concerns by saying the authority’s decision would “minimise the impact on the environment”. In addition to the Savannah project near the town of Boticas, Portuguese company Lusorecursos is planning its own project in the neighbouring town of Montalegre, while the government has launched an international tender to search for lithium in six regions of Portugal.
The European Union is seeking to build its own supply chain for the production of electric vehicles, from mining the raw materials to building battery factories, as it sets a deadline of 2035 to phase out the sale of new fossil-fuel vehicles.
AFP und Blackout News
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