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People often overlook
that everything

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that was not born or
grown was once mined.

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It might be an inconvenient
truth, but without mining,

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there wouldn't be any buildings
or bridges.

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No railway tracks or fridges.

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No smartphones
or electric buses.

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I think I have a piece.

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Yes, let's check.

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Our fight against climate change
also relies on mining.

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Lithium, for example, is a
crucial element for batteries

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powering electric mobility
and stationary energy storage.

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Seven percent of lithium oxide.

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It's not like Europe lacks
lithium in its bedrock.

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We have different kinds
of lithium in Europe.

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Spodumene like this
that is very important

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and lithium as zinnwaldite
in Germany, jadarite in Serbia

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and many others.

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Is lithium everywhere then?

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Yes, Europe could
be self-sufficient

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in terms of lithium, for sure.

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Why don't we have any
operational mines in Europe?

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Yeah, quite interesting.

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They just see the disadvantages,
they don't see the advantages.

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Climate change is the
defining challenge of our time.

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To move to a
climate-neutral world,

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the total demand for
critical minerals is projected

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to triple between
today and 2040.

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Of all the critical minerals,
lithium

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stands out with
eight-fold growth.

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These critical minerals
are vital for wind turbines,

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solar panels,
batteries and electric vehicles,

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along with many other clean

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technologies
essential for advancing

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towards a
climate-neutral society.

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The International Energy Agency
has calculated

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that we need 50 new mines
for lithium by 2030.

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In Europe we have
loads of potential,

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and yet, in the real world,
we still haven't got

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any single operational
lithium mine in Europe itself.

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That is a huge paradox for me.

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It is a paradox.

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As the race for critical
minerals takes center stage

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on the global
geopolitical agenda,

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Europe can no longer afford
to remain passive.

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US President Trump enforced

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a “critical minerals
for security” deal with Ukraine,

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while also eyeing
Greenland's untapped resources.

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Meanwhile,
China holds significant stakes

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in the Democratic
Republic of Congo

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and continues
to dominate the lithium market.

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Although Australia
and Chile may possess

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larger lithium
reserves than China,

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the Chinese have
secured almost 60 percent

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of the global lithium
refining capacity

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and 75 percent
of global battery production.

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To avoid sleepwalking into the

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abyss, Europe's time
to act is now.

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This map corroborates the huge

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potential for lithium
mining in Europe.

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We have deposits spread from
Portugal right up to Finland.

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If you look at the
size of the deposits,

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two of the crucial ones
are here in Serbia,

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and there in Portugal.

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Both of these mines face
quite a lot of opposition,

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local opposition
and even national opposition.

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Mining is needed,
but not always wanted.

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Take Portugal, for example.

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A number of locals
in Covas do Barroso

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have voiced strong
concerns about

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lithium extraction
in their region.

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In Serbia,
an EU candidate member state,

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protests have been elevated from
the local to the national level.

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Many Serbs argue

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that the mine will destroy their
environment and agriculture.

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It just shows
that Europe's climate targets

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often conflict
with local or national demands

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for environmental
and cultural preservation.

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Doctor Peter Tom
Jones wants to dig

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deeper into this
lithium paradox.

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That's why he's travelling

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to the Barroso region
in the north of Portugal,

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where one of the largest lithium
deposits in Europe is situated.

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Hello, good evening.

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Please.

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Jones is the director

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of the KU Leuven Institute for
Sustainable Metals and Minerals

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in Belgium,

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an internationally renowned
interdisciplinary institute

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recognized for its
expertise in lithium.

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This is a copy of the five-liter
one, it's just a bigger version.

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Beyond his academic work,

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Jones has spent over 30
years passionately advocating

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for a just transition
to a climate-neutral society.

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However,
he has come to recognize

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that this transition
inevitably requires

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the extraction
of critical metals.

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This raises an
essential question.

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Can mining be
conducted responsibly

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and can Europe lead the way
as a global pioneer?

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The problem is
that mining has such

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a bad reputation
all over the world,

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and yet in Europe,
we can do it in a different way.

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We can do it in an
ESG-friendly way.

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That's what I want to find out,
to see

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how it can be done
in a better way.

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The first stop on his
journey is Boticas,

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where the headquarters of
Savannah Resources are situated.

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Savannah is a British
mining company

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listed on the London
Stock Exchange.

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This junior company has one
mining project in its portfolio,

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the controversial
Barroso Lithium Project.

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If all goes according to plan,

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the first of four open pit mines

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will commence
operations in 2027.

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The project is going
to have four pits,

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and this is just
a representation

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of the timeline of the project.

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We are going to operate
four pits in sequence.

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One by one, and as we open a new

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one, we backfill
the previous one.

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In the model,
the location of the

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first one would be right here.

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Then we work on this one.

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Then we would come
to this one, and

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then finally to
this pit right here.

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As you can see, two of the pits
here are already rehabilitated.

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The trend in mining is to go

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underground towards
invisible mines,

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so why did you go for open pits?

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From a technical perspective,
the resource is on the surface,

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so it doesn't warrant
an underground mine here.

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Okay, but I do see villages

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which are relatively close
by this open pit in particular.

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I guess they're
worried about dust,

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noise, vibrations,
and water issues.

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How do you deal
with those complaints?

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We've already identified

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and mapped out a lot of the
concerns from the population,

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and you mentioned a few of them.

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Of course,
we have mitigation measures

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in place to manage and mitigate

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and minimize all
of those negative

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aspects or negative impacts,

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whether it's sound, dust,
or air quality, for example.

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We need to see it
before we can believe it,

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so let's go to this place
and speak to the people.

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The mining activities would
occur in the Barroso region,

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an area renowned
for its strong cultural identity

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and recognized
as World Agricultural Heritage.

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Despite its agricultural
significance,

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the region also has a
long tradition of mining.

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This region is the tip

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of a protected area recognized
for its agricultural heritage,

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and what's being
recognized is the

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traditional
agricultural practices.

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The resistance
will say that you'll

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be destroying that way of life.

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Those who protest the project
claim that there's a risk

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that they're going
to lose that recognition

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but it's interesting to
know that that classification,

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that recognition
was granted in 2018

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with already a series
of mining projects

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in the protected area.

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It's not at all incompatible,

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besides the fact
that we're going to be occupying

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a very, very small
portion of that area.

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While driving to
Covas do Barroso,

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Peter Tom Jones and
Thomas Gaultier pass

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through numerous
semi-deserted villages.

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The younger generation
of Portugal has

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left the northern
part of the country

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to pursue education
in coastal cities or abroad,

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and they have not returned
due to the lack of jobs.

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You reckon the
mine will provide new

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economic developments here,
then?

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It's definitely
going to create a

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stimulation of the
local economy.

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With more people coming,

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you're going to have more need
for restaurants,

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more need for
small grocery stores,

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and that's going to
create stimulation.

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These mine workers,
they will come

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and live in these
houses again then?

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They might if the owners are
ready to rent out their house

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to the mining community,
to the mining workers.

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Yes, absolutely.

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It's an absolutely gorgeous
place to live, anyway.

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In my opinion, the nicest
viewpoint in the area.

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Here we see the
beautiful valleys,

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so where will your pits come?

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There are four pits.

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The main pit will
be in the second

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valley down in that direction,

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closer to the little
village of Romainho,

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which is 580 meters
from our biggest pit.

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Will they see the pit?

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They're going to see the pit
to some extent,

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especially at the
top levels of the pit.

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They're also going to see some
of the waste rock storage

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that's going to be there,

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but it's going to be quite
hidden in the vegetation

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and in the structure
of the landscape.

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What's the reaction
of the people there?

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Some are not very happy.

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This is where the main voices
of protest come from,

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from Romainho and
Covas do Barroso.

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When I hear Covas do Barroso,

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I think about the
resistance I see

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in all these newspaper articles.

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This is where it comes from,

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because people are concerned
and people are afraid,

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and that's what makes
the work worthwhile.

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I want to go and
speak to these people.

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Do you think they will
be willing to speak to me?

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I'm sure they're
going to be willing

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to engage and share their views

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and their position
on this project

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because it affects
them and it's normal.

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Can I expect a
friendly encounter?

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My experience is that
it's always friendly,

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if not passionate encounters.

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Finnish researcher,
Toni Eerola, is

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accompanying
Jones on this journey.

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As a social geologist,

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Eerola is investigating
local resistance to the mining

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of energy-transition
metals in Europe.

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His proficiency in Portuguese
proves particularly useful.

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We’re making a documentary.

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Stop filming! Okay?

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If you will use this,
I have a recording too.

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However, the meeting

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with the local
opposition highlights

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the deep distrust
against the project.

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I speak portuguese.
You can talk to me.

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We know exactly
what you are doing and

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what is the
intention of this work.

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That's why it's not welcomed.

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It's disrespectful to a
community that is struggling,

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because of a company
of thieves and liars.

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And you come here
to collude with them.

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We've already been screwed

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a lot of times and we
don't accept people like you.

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That's why I
advise you to leave.

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Don’t challenge me
or you’re going to get it.

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The researchers are prevented
from freely engaging

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with other local residents
in Covas do Barroso,

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making it impossible

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to accurately gauge
public sentiment

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00:12:54,393 --> 00:12:56,440
regarding the
lithium mining project.

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What is clear is that the
project is highly sensitive,

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with some locals feeling that

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their livelihoods
are under threat.

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00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,840
Tony, I was not expecting
this kind of hostility.

256
00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:11,280
How do you explain that?

257
00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,805
Yes, I was a little
bit surprised also

258
00:13:14,817 --> 00:13:17,920
but anyway,
we can expect anything

259
00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:19,920
in these kinds of situations.

260
00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,520
The emotions were really tough?

261
00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,000
Yes,
and that happens in activism.

262
00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,720
The emotions, they are a part of
activism, a strong part of that.

263
00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,400
They are really convinced
that lithium is a bad thing.

264
00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,160
They do not see this as part
of a cleantech transition

265
00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:38,520
to climate neutrality?

266
00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:43,520
Yes, it seems to be
an absolute view.

267
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,130
The problem is that the mine

268
00:13:47,142 --> 00:13:49,320
would be close
to that community,

269
00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:52,909
but then they
refuse to recognize

270
00:13:52,921 --> 00:13:55,480
the green energy transition.

271
00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:57,040
They don't believe in that.

272
00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,520
There's also a deliberate
attempt not to engage with us,

273
00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:02,520
and not to give their opinion?

274
00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,640
They spoke a lot with us,
but not in front of cameras.

275
00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:12,040
They don't accept it
and refuse totally to do that.

276
00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,240
You see a lack of trust
even in scientists like us.

277
00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,529
Journalists, government,

278
00:14:19,541 --> 00:14:23,800
researchers,
it's kind of systematic.

279
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:25,320
If they don't trust us,

280
00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,000
what about the company
that is trying to do this?

281
00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:33,440
That's the worst-case scenario
for them to trust a company

282
00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,480
that intends to
mine on their lands.

283
00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,600
Do you think the community
engagement strategy

284
00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,200
of the company can work
in such circumstances?

285
00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,840
Not with these people, probably,

286
00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,794
but for the rest of
the community, I

287
00:14:47,806 --> 00:14:50,960
think that it's worth
trying to do that.

288
00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,120
Yes, we have work to do.

289
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,760
In this historic church
in Mechelen in Belgium,

290
00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:04,080
Jones seeks to find common
ground between civil society,

291
00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,880
academia, public authorities,
and the mining industry.

292
00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:13,240
We'll now kick off
with the SLO panel event

293
00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,480
on responsible mining in Europe.

294
00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,820
The responsible
mining model aims to

295
00:15:20,832 --> 00:15:23,480
transcend past
questionable practices,

296
00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,155
focusing on minimizing
environmental harm,

297
00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,720
ensuring fair labor conditions

298
00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,640
and involving local communities
as real beneficiaries.

299
00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,640
Jones challenges the industry
to prove its commitment

300
00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:38,120
to this transformation.

301
00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:41,877
This is a major question that

302
00:15:41,889 --> 00:15:44,120
the Serbian
opposition is posing.

303
00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,640
How can any company that goes

304
00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,320
for such a project
outside of the European Union

305
00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:54,320
take along the very strict
ESG standards it has to follow

306
00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,040
within the European Union?

307
00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,240
However, the Social
License to Operate concept

308
00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:01,960
also faces criticism.

309
00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:04,997
Here, the protesters
highlight the

310
00:16:05,009 --> 00:16:07,280
right to say no and stay silent,

311
00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:08,824
letting their banners about

312
00:16:08,836 --> 00:16:10,640
Portugal and
Serbia do the talking.

313
00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:14,680
It's a paradox.

314
00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,416
Civil society grapples
with the challenge

315
00:16:17,428 --> 00:16:19,440
of balancing local
community rights

316
00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,240
and environmental preservation
with the need to mine metals,

317
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,445
which are essential
for the transition

318
00:16:25,457 --> 00:16:27,040
to a climate-neutral economy.

319
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,760
However, not all
environmental organizations

320
00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,240
are opposed to metal mining.

321
00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,600
That's a topic addressed
by Julia Poliscanova,

322
00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,840
a prominent figure
at Transport and Environment.

323
00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:45,040
There you go.

324
00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,840
It's a coalition
of over 60 environmental NGOs

325
00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:49,920
across Europe.

326
00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,430
While she acknowledges
the concerns

327
00:16:52,442 --> 00:16:54,400
surrounding the
global mining industry,

328
00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:56,876
she also recognizes
the necessity

329
00:16:56,888 --> 00:16:58,600
of lithium mining in Europe.

330
00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,600
You can have different kinds
of environmentalism, right?

331
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,490
You have organizations that are

332
00:17:04,502 --> 00:17:06,560
anti and that
operate by protest,

333
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,008
and you have environmental

334
00:17:08,020 --> 00:17:09,920
organizations that
rely on evidence,

335
00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,800
for example, we as T&E, but
also rely very much on engaging.

336
00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,880
We engage with politicians,
we engage with companies

337
00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,360
to raise the standards of mining
but understand,

338
00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:22,631
and we understand
that we still will

339
00:17:22,643 --> 00:17:24,520
need a lot more
critical minerals

340
00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,520
for technologies like
batteries and wind turbines.

341
00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:31,200
You're trying to be constructive
in your environmentalism.

342
00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:33,720
We are constructive
in the way we approach things,

343
00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:35,360
but not scared to
call companies out.

344
00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:37,640
When something's not done right,
we say so.

345
00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,920
However, we understand
that only by working together

346
00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,080
can we build this resilient
supply chain in Europe.

347
00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:46,517
Still, many environmental
activists

348
00:17:46,529 --> 00:17:48,880
simply don't trust
these mining companies.

349
00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:50,968
They don't trust them,
and sometimes

350
00:17:50,980 --> 00:17:52,720
they also have a
good reason not to.

351
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:57,040
Historically, we have a
lot of evidence of corruption,

352
00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,800
of mismanagement, dirty rivers,
dangerous chemicals, et cetera.

353
00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,160
There's also a responsibility
for the mining companies

354
00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,520
to break with the past
and do things differently.

355
00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:11,009
Before we delve
into the necessary

356
00:18:11,021 --> 00:18:12,760
changes in the mining industry,

357
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:16,480
we should also reflect
on our choices as consumers.

358
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,240
Do we really need
to buy an oversized electric SUV

359
00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:21,320
every four years?

360
00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,440
Perhaps it's time
to rethink our economic model,

361
00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:28,880
one that promotes circularity
through ecodesign,

362
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,880
thereby reducing our
dependence on mining.

363
00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,040
Instead of mining more lithium,
we just need to consume less.

364
00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,880
Whether we all use electric cars
or we go by electric bus

365
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,200
or even by train, we will
still need critical minerals.

366
00:18:45,327 --> 00:18:47,847
We'll need them for steel
to make your rail tracks.

367
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,320
for example, or lithium to build
that bigger battery for a bus.

368
00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,600
We will still need
a lot of those minerals,

369
00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:58,520
but how much more depends on the
various choices that we make.

370
00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,400
T&E has always been
in favor of a modal shift,

371
00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,320
so how far can that take us?

372
00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,000
We have looked
at it a lot as T&E.

373
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:07,720
We see that, for example,

374
00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,920
if more people took
a smaller electric vehicle

375
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:12,520
as opposed to a large SUV,

376
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,600
we would need to mine a
quarter less cumulatively

377
00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,000
of lithium and nickel by 2050.

378
00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:21,880
That's a lot of mines
we don't have to build.

379
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:23,994
This primary demand can be

380
00:19:24,006 --> 00:19:26,120
further reduced
by recycling more?

381
00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,800
Recycling or broader
circularity is also critical.

382
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,400
Generally, I hope that
we in the world move away

383
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,233
from this linear kind of

384
00:19:35,245 --> 00:19:37,720
extractive model
that we have today

385
00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:39,360
and go to a more circular loop.

386
00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,520
We mine lithium and nickel once,

387
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:43,559
but then we can
constantly recycle it

388
00:19:43,571 --> 00:19:45,400
in a loop to produce
new batteries.

389
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,640
How far can we jump today
with recycled lithium?

390
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,560
One of the key
players is Umicore.

391
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,120
This multinational corporation,
headquartered in Belgium,

392
00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:57,989
has developed an innovative new

393
00:19:58,079 --> 00:20:00,078
technique for
recycling batteries.

394
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,160
Something very special is going
to happen today, I understand.

395
00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,600
Yes, it's the very first time
we're ever allowing a film crew

396
00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:10,080
inside the battery smelter.

397
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,040
Is it because it's
a secret process?

398
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,800
It's unique,
and it's a wonderful process.

399
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,800
However,
it remains a pilot plant today

400
00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,040
as the volumes are insufficient
to be profitable.

401
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,280
Here we can say a final goodbye
to the battery.

402
00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:28,520
It's the funeral
of the batteries.

403
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:30,800
Yes, it's the end of
their productive life,

404
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:32,640
but it's the start
of a new life.

405
00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,000
Which type of batteries go
into the smelter?

406
00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,880
We can take a high
variety of batteries.

407
00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,280
We take batteries
from the early-generation EVs

408
00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:46,480
that are now becoming
end of life, not used anymore.

409
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,480
We also take
quite a bit of cells

410
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,920
that have quality issues
during manufacturing.

411
00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:54,240
This is a proper
industrial pilot.

412
00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,120
How much feed do you need

413
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,799
to have a really
commercially-viable

414
00:20:58,811 --> 00:21:00,200
industrial factory?

415
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,640
We operate at a capacity
of 7,000 tons per year,

416
00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,920
which is equivalent
to roughly 20,000 EV batteries.

417
00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,280
Our ambition is to scale up
with capacities

418
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:13,000
that are 10 or 20 times bigger.

419
00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,080
When will those
volumes be available?

420
00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:21,120
We believe that in the
next decade, in the 2030s

421
00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,000
that the end-of-life
market will pick up

422
00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,200
and we have a role to play
with such an installation.

423
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,503
What's very
important is that the

424
00:21:30,515 --> 00:21:32,240
volumes that will
be on the market

425
00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:35,040
then will also be
available to us as recyclers

426
00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:36,914
because today a majority of

427
00:21:36,926 --> 00:21:38,800
these volumes
are leaving Europe.

428
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,440
You're saying
that they are leaving Europe?

429
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:42,720
They are leaving Europe

430
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,840
because Asian players are much
more competitive to take them,

431
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:48,960
and Europe still needs to invest

432
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,600
in higher-capacity installations
with lower costs.

433
00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:56,120
People are hesitating
to put on these investments

434
00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,640
because we lack a clear,
coherent policy to support them.

435
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,560
The European Union
still has a lot of work to do.

436
00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,920
We're appealing very strongly
to policymakers in Europe

437
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:08,440
to make it happen,

438
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:13,240
and not just in a few years from
now, the time to act is now.

439
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,270
It's time to visit
the smelter with

440
00:22:17,282 --> 00:22:19,400
a camera crew
and a flying drone,

441
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:21,960
the first time ever.

442
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,600
What are we seeing here now?
What's happening?

443
00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,520
When the batteries touch the
molten bath inside this furnace,

444
00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,520
something truly magical happens.

445
00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,160
In a matter of seconds,

446
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,558
the critical raw materials,
lithium,

447
00:22:36,570 --> 00:22:38,240
nickel, cobalt are liberated

448
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:39,760
from their original compounds,

449
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:41,572
and they're pushed
into separate,

450
00:22:41,584 --> 00:22:43,200
high quality products, actually.

451
00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,720
Nickel, cobalt will be collected
in the alloy,

452
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,000
which is now
tapped into the pot.

453
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,720
Then lithium is pushed
into the gaseous state

454
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,578
and we capture it
as a salt basically

455
00:22:55,590 --> 00:22:57,840
in the flue dust off-gas system.

456
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,000
What are the main
advantages here, then?

457
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,400
The main advantages
are that it's safe by design.

458
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,440
We don't need to
open up any battery.

459
00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,840
It's super efficient, high yield
of the critical raw materials,

460
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,280
and it's most sustainable.

461
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,320
Low carbon footprint,
less waste, less chemicals.

462
00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,798
Is this a really
world-unique process?

463
00:23:18,810 --> 00:23:19,720
Absolutely.

464
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,880
This is a process
that's invented

465
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,440
and developed here
in the center of Europe.

466
00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,520
Do you think the Chinese want
to copy this process?

467
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:29,840
We know that they
want to copy it.

468
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,680
They are very interested
to learn about this technology.

469
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:35,400
We have Chinese
customers as well,

470
00:23:35,412 --> 00:23:37,200
so we're in touch with them,
anyway.

471
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,360
All great news, but in China,

472
00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,320
new, more affordable types
of batteries are emerging.

473
00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,280
The so-called LFP batteries
or lithium-iron-phosphate,

474
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,960
which do not contain
cobalt or nickel.

475
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,920
If this battery becomes
the new standard,

476
00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:59,080
current recycling technologies
could face significant pressure.

477
00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,520
- Oh, here we have it.
- Yes.

478
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,080
Look at this,
this is the white gold.

479
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:09,930
This is industrially produced

480
00:24:09,942 --> 00:24:12,600
Technical-grade
lithium carbonate.

481
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,000
It's fully recycled.

482
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,320
Fully from spent batteries.

483
00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:18,840
Is that a solution for
our lithium supply?

484
00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:22,520
We will need mining
for the foreseeable future,

485
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,600
but recycling is a key addition,
a key strategic component

486
00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:30,640
for Europe to be more
independent and more sustainable

487
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:32,640
for its future mobility.

488
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,120
So, you can't recycle your way
out of the fossil-fuel economy?

489
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,600
You have to first produce them
and then recycle them.

490
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,440
Even with a major modal shift
in transportation

491
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,000
and a significant boost in
lithium-ion battery recycling,

492
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,240
some primary lithium mining
will still be necessary

493
00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:56,600
to achieve a
climate-neutral economy.

494
00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,800
This aligns with the EU's
Critical Raw Materials Act,

495
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,040
which sets ambitious targets.

496
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,960
At least 10 percent of lithium
is sourced from domestic mining,

497
00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:10,322
40 percent refined
within the EU,

498
00:25:10,334 --> 00:25:14,052
and 25 percent
recycled domestically.

499
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:17,147
In the European Parliament,

500
00:25:17,172 --> 00:25:20,640
Jones meets German MEP
Hildegard Bentele,

501
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,440
who has played a
pivotal role in shaping

502
00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,200
and refining
the Critical Raw Materials Act,

503
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,120
where lithium remains
a central focus.

504
00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,560
How important is the lithium
supply chain for Europe?

505
00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:35,680
It is very important

506
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,313
because we are super
dependent currently

507
00:25:38,325 --> 00:25:40,480
from one supplier,
which is China.

508
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,606
We have to face
the situation that

509
00:25:43,618 --> 00:25:45,520
the supply chain is interrupted.

510
00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,436
China could hit
us hard by stopping

511
00:25:48,448 --> 00:25:50,600
lithium imports from China.

512
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,640
We want to prepare
for this situation.

513
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,400
That means domestic mining
and refining in Europe.

514
00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,373
So that we have
a current inflow of

515
00:25:59,385 --> 00:26:02,080
potential battery
production in Europe.

516
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,800
Still, there is so
much opposition.

517
00:26:04,976 --> 00:26:07,751
There's a lot of
hypocrisy in it because

518
00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,055
if they saw the
conditions under which

519
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,480
lithium is mined in China
or in other places in the world,

520
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,680
the standards are much lower.

521
00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:22,680
Actually, they are blocking
high-standard lithium mining.

522
00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:24,997
For the purpose, what they want,

523
00:26:25,009 --> 00:26:27,360
which is to have
cleaner transport,

524
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:28,560
a cleaner environment.

525
00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:30,000
This is what we are aiming for.

526
00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:33,800
They also do not see that
we have high tech in mining.

527
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:35,058
Jones witnessed
first-hand how mining

528
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,960
Jones witnessed
first-hand how mining

529
00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:41,160
in the Nordic countries
is conducted more responsibly,

530
00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,400
and has evolved
into a highly advanced industry,

531
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,880
featuring electric trucks
and autonomous vehicles

532
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:50,080
powered by green electricity.

533
00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,400
Moreover, mining at depths

534
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,240
beyond 1,000 meters underground
bears little resemblance

535
00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:00,240
to the hazardous and polluting
coal mining of the past.

536
00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:01,640
What's happening here?

537
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,733
The sector has undergone a

538
00:27:03,745 --> 00:27:06,160
remarkable digital
transformation.

539
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,400
This is where we load

540
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:14,960
and work with the hydraulic
stone knockers using joysticks,

541
00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:17,280
Xbox and
PlayStation controllers.

542
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,728
PlayStation at
1,400 meters depth?

543
00:27:19,740 --> 00:27:20,520
Yes.

544
00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:22,560
Perhaps this explains

545
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,480
why the Keliber lithium mining
and refining project

546
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:27,770
in the Kaustinen
region in Finland

547
00:27:27,782 --> 00:27:29,560
faces so little opposition.

548
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,240
The company plans
to begin mining in 2026.

549
00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,920
A similar situation exists
in central France,

550
00:27:38,120 --> 00:27:42,240
where Imerys aims to expand
its existing kaolinite mine

551
00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,600
into an underground
lepidolite lithium operation.

552
00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:48,760
Opposition
to this project remains minimal.

553
00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:51,035
Both of these
projects were granted

554
00:27:51,047 --> 00:27:52,600
the Strategic Project status

555
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,600
by the EU in March 2025.

556
00:27:56,080 --> 00:28:00,280
Despite the protests, the Mina
do Barroso project in Portugal

557
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,400
has also been labelled
a Strategic Project.

558
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,400
We are seeing a lot of
deindustrialization in Europe.

559
00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,760
Can this lithium supply chain
counteract that?

560
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,560
Yes, it can, because we have
seen that the mining sector,

561
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,080
which was in decline,

562
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,414
with these kind of projects,
can be revived

563
00:28:19,426 --> 00:28:22,040
and can be made
into a new ecosystem.

564
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,684
It's not only mining,
it's processing,

565
00:28:24,696 --> 00:28:26,680
it's refining, it's recycling.

566
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,160
We have the chance to establish
a completely new ecosystem,

567
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:35,600
which is future-proven, but if
we do not act now to revive it,

568
00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,231
soon, it will really
be in decline

569
00:28:38,243 --> 00:28:40,200
and will go away from Europe.

570
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,501
The European Union
is expanding its search

571
00:28:44,513 --> 00:28:47,000
for lithium outside
of its own borders.

572
00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,200
It has signed a strategic
partnership with Serbia,

573
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:54,200
home to Europe's largest and
most valuable lithium deposit,

574
00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,775
a resource capable of supplying

575
00:28:56,787 --> 00:28:59,520
batteries for one
million electric cars

576
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:03,120
or 200,000 electric
buses annually.

577
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:06,120
However,
the planned lithium mine

578
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:10,720
in Serbia's fertile Jadar Valley
has sparked massive protests.

579
00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,390
What started as local opposition

580
00:29:13,402 --> 00:29:16,240
rapidly grew into a
nationwide movement.

581
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,480
Shifting from Not In My Backyard
to Not In My Country.

582
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,760
Rio Tinto,
get out of Serbia!

583
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,040
Get out of Serbia!

584
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,080
The contested British Australian
mining company, Rio Tinto,

585
00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,200
which intends to
invest 2.3 billion Euros

586
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,720
in this major
underground lithium operation,

587
00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,800
is facing unprecedented
resistance.

588
00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,520
The ore found in the region,
known as jadarite,

589
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:47,600
was officially classified
as a new mineral in 2004.

590
00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:49,685
It's here, we see examples of

591
00:29:49,697 --> 00:29:51,600
the drill cores
and the jadarite.

592
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:53,320
If you look at this core,

593
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,600
the white dots that you
see here are the jadarite.

594
00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:00,280
Compared to other lithium
ores present in Europe,

595
00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,320
such as spodumene
in Portugal, Spain, and Finland,

596
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:05,160
lepidolite in France,

597
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,120
or zinnwaldite in Germany
and the Czech Republic,

598
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,080
jadarite is easier to process.

599
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,692
It does not require
energy-intensive

600
00:30:14,704 --> 00:30:16,080
thermal pretreatment

601
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,520
or extremely harsh
chemical conditions.

602
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,840
From a purely
environmental perspective,

603
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:26,360
jadarite processing would
not pose more but fewer risks,

604
00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:28,520
according to
metallurgical experts.

605
00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,320
Here we see the valley.

606
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,240
The now-famous Jadar Valley.

607
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:39,400
From here, you can see where we
intend, if everything goes well,

608
00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,400
to build the Jadar project.

609
00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,560
If you look at that line
and maybe I can explain it here,

610
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:47,351
we are talking about
a surface area

611
00:30:47,376 --> 00:30:50,440
of 220 hectares
above ground.

612
00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:52,240
- No, that's not big.
- It's not big?

613
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:53,760
If you think about, for example,

614
00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,720
the Kolubara mine
in another part of Serbia,

615
00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,640
which is an open-pit mine,
that's 60,000 hectares.

616
00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:01,120
- You must be joking.
- No.

617
00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:02,738
That's just the
footprint you see on top.

618
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:03,495
Yes.

619
00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,880
That's the benefit you get
from an underground mine.

620
00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,526
If you look at this picture,

621
00:31:07,538 --> 00:31:09,680
imagine that this
is that area here.

622
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,760
The mine is underground, you
don't see it, you see only...

623
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:14,920
- It's an invisible mine.
- Yes, exactly.

624
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,840
It's an invisible mine,
which is completely underground.

625
00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,720
Everything around the mine
remains the same.

626
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,391
It is a very modern
mine that will

627
00:31:23,403 --> 00:31:25,480
be operated from a control room.

628
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,400
Everything will be controlled
electronically.

629
00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,160
When you think about Jadar,

630
00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,440
the area that maybe people
will see from this point,

631
00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,480
if Jadar is built,
is rather small.

632
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,760
Everything around the area
and around the fence

633
00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,480
will continue to
be the way it is

634
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:43,977
because we will
make sure that the

635
00:31:43,989 --> 00:31:46,280
farming exists exactly the same.

636
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:47,960
There is no land subsidence.

637
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:49,840
Still,
there are so many protests.

638
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:52,200
Yes, there are protests.

639
00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:56,080
Unfortunately, the narrative has
been based on disinformation,

640
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,066
and what we are
struggling with is

641
00:31:58,078 --> 00:32:00,160
actually to see a
fact-based dialogue

642
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:03,840
and discussion about
the merits of this project.

643
00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,160
During the interview, members
of the local resistance group,

644
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,720
Ne Damo Jadar keep passing by,

645
00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,214
filming the Serbian
head of Rio Tinto

646
00:32:15,226 --> 00:32:17,240
while making
their feelings clear.

647
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,560
You are wasting your time it
is useless what you are doing.

648
00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:24,520
There is nothing for you here,
this is our living space.

649
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,360
We will defend
this with our lives.

650
00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,360
If you want blood to flow,
you can get it.

651
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:35,600
Why are these local farmers

652
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,320
so vehemently opposed
to the Jadar project?

653
00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:42,320
Ne Damo Jadar,
meaning we Won't Give Up Jadar,

654
00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,040
is unwavering in its
resistance against Rio Tinto,

655
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:48,920
and it's clear
that they will not back down.

656
00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,028
What is your main concern with

657
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,440
this lithium project
by Rio Tinto?

658
00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:58,320
There is no concern,
there will be no mine.

659
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,240
Our job is to gather
as many people as possible

660
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,488
to bring 200,000
people out in the

661
00:33:04,500 --> 00:33:06,720
streets and they
will have to leave.

662
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,560
The president wants
the mining project to happen.

663
00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,640
The president wants
the mine to be opened

664
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,680
because he is the key lobbyist
for Rio Tinto.

665
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:19,509
Are you afraid of environmental

666
00:33:19,521 --> 00:33:21,520
pollution? Is that
the main cause?

667
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,600
If the mine comes,
there would be no life here.

668
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,766
Isn't it sad that you
have these huge

669
00:33:28,778 --> 00:33:31,520
lithium resources
in this country,

670
00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,480
and you can't use them
to become rich in this country?

671
00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:36,720
Europe would get rich.

672
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,960
They would get lithium batteries
and a healthy environment.

673
00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:45,560
They would be the ones driving
around in the electric vehicles,

674
00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,240
and Serbia would become
Europe’s landfill,

675
00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,840
and we would suffer from
various diseases like cancer.

676
00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,799
It's striking to
see the lengths to

677
00:33:59,811 --> 00:34:02,440
which Ne Damo
Jadar is prepared to go

678
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,040
to halt the lithium mine.

679
00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,346
We are ready to
sacrifice our lives

680
00:34:09,358 --> 00:34:12,520
in the fight against Rio Tinto.

681
00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:14,960
What do you mean
by sacrificing your own life?

682
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:16,800
We will lie down
in front of the excavators.

683
00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,040
We will burn them
and do whatever it takes.

684
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:24,200
Rio Tinto get out of Serbia.

685
00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,720
In Serbia, the local protest

686
00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,920
by Ne Damo Jadar has grown into
a massive national movement,

687
00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:32,860
attracting a diverse array of

688
00:34:32,872 --> 00:34:35,120
opponents against
the mining project.

689
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:37,247
Is it possible that behind these

690
00:34:37,259 --> 00:34:39,720
doors people sit
who are only focused

691
00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,920
on their mandate?

692
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:45,840
The opposition is
remarkably diverse.

693
00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:47,588
Local farmers, urban

694
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,480
environmentalists,
Belgrade scientists

695
00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:54,520
and Serbian nationalists
all united against the project.

696
00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,105
In Belgrade, Jones meets

697
00:34:57,117 --> 00:34:59,680
anthropologist
Jelena Vasiljevic,

698
00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:03,600
who may shed some light on why
so many Serbs oppose the mine.

699
00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,790
How do you explain
these complex,

700
00:35:07,802 --> 00:35:10,480
massive protests
here in Belgrade?

701
00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:15,120
Part of it is that it's against
the mining of lithium.

702
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,760
Part of it has to do with that
and with different arguments

703
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,120
about why the Jadar project
is complicated.

704
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:22,800
The complex part of it has to do
with the dissatisfaction

705
00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:24,040
with this political regime

706
00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,840
and how this whole process
has been conducted

707
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:30,000
in non-transparent
and non-democratic ways.

708
00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:34,840
Many grievances
are actually being articulated

709
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:35,960
in this protest.

710
00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,800
The lack of trust in the
government here is very loud.

711
00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:40,960
It's very clear.

712
00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:42,440
Where is it coming from?

713
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,320
We also have bad experiences
with previous projects.

714
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:46,737
We had many other projects that

715
00:35:46,749 --> 00:35:48,360
were declared of
national interest,

716
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,320
and they were all conducted

717
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,720
in non-transparent
and non-democratic ways.

718
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:56,320
If Rio Tinto were a
Serbian company,

719
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,000
do you think the project
would have been okay?

720
00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,920
Partially it has to do with
the bad history of Rio Tinto.

721
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,560
That is true,
it's not only about the economy.

722
00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,120
It's not only about how you
use sustainable raw materials.

723
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,600
It's what you
politically do with it.

724
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,330
This is why people
are distrustful

725
00:36:14,342 --> 00:36:16,520
and I would say they are right.

726
00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:22,480
Anthropologist Jelena Vasiljevic
attributes the growing unrest

727
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,720
to the current regime,

728
00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:26,640
which, according to her
and many protesters,

729
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,840
is sliding towards autocracy
under President Vučić.

730
00:36:31,240 --> 00:36:32,899
This is evident in the harsh

731
00:36:32,911 --> 00:36:35,120
suppression of
protests in Belgrade

732
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,520
and the unlawful arrests
of many activists.

733
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:41,560
The movement continues
to gain momentum

734
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:45,120
with the support of
thousands of Serbian students.

735
00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,640
The Jadar lithium project
has become deeply intertwined

736
00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:51,880
with the political
opposition to Vučić.

737
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,560
Should there be a referendum
on this project?

738
00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:58,120
No, a referendum,
I don't think it's a good idea

739
00:36:58,200 --> 00:36:59,455
because a referendum is always

740
00:36:59,467 --> 00:37:01,240
dependent on how
you frame the question.

741
00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:03,200
Then you get the
Brexit discussions.

742
00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,320
Not only that, the political
climate then takes a lot.

743
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:07,680
The political
climate is important

744
00:37:07,768 --> 00:37:09,728
and you also have
to have an informed public.

745
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:11,119
How can you have a referendum

746
00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:12,440
when citizens aren't
informed enough?

747
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,040
Now they're staging something
that looks like an open debate,

748
00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,880
even though we know
that everything is already done.

749
00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,520
We needed to be
more prepared for that.

750
00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:27,560
Is the deep distrust
in Rio Tinto's lithium project

751
00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:29,480
based on genuine concerns,

752
00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,377
or is it also fuelled
by disinformation,

753
00:37:32,389 --> 00:37:34,960
allegedly spread to
serve political goals

754
00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:38,680
such as ousting President
Vučić's autocratic regime?

755
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:43,960
Rio Tinto claims that fake
news plays a significant role.

756
00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:47,293
At their information
center in Loznica,

757
00:37:47,305 --> 00:37:49,760
they've even set
up a fake-news wall.

758
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,520
You see a lot of photos
of open-pit mines.

759
00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:55,390
We know this is an
underground mine,

760
00:37:55,402 --> 00:37:56,960
and it will not look like that.

761
00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,800
You see the explosions, which
are connected to the open pits,

762
00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:02,320
and how people are scared.

763
00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:04,080
Here you have information

764
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:05,909
that we will use sulphuric acid

765
00:38:05,921 --> 00:38:07,920
at 250 degrees,
which is not true.

766
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:11,120
We're using it at 90 degrees
as anyone can see

767
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:13,480
from the information
publicly available.

768
00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:18,080
That we will destroy the water
sources for 85 million people,

769
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,600
which is underground in Jadar.

770
00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:25,520
It is very easy to say something
like you will burn the skin

771
00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,200
and lungs of people because
you will have sulfuric rains,

772
00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:32,000
which is completely not true,
but explaining the technology

773
00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,240
and how you use
the sulfuric acid takes time.

774
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,000
It's easy to throw
the mud at someone,

775
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:37,920
but it's difficult
to clean the shirt again.

776
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,960
It takes much longer, it's the
Second Law of Thermodynamics.

777
00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,320
What do you then do about this?
What is your strategy?

778
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:46,400
The first thing is
that we plan community meetings

779
00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:48,400
to meet with the
community face-to-face.

780
00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:52,600
We've met more than 3,000
people so far in the past year,

781
00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:55,520
and we've committed
to radical transparency.

782
00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:58,120
That is, we put all the
information on our web page,

783
00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:00,520
respond to all media inquiries,
and

784
00:39:00,532 --> 00:39:02,800
rebut everything
that's fake news.

785
00:39:05,720 --> 00:39:08,280
Misinformation, disinformation,

786
00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:10,638
and the lack of
trust are also issues

787
00:39:10,650 --> 00:39:13,000
Savannah claims
to be struggling with.

788
00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:18,000
In Portugal, lithium is
often perceived as toxic

789
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,120
despite ongoing
lithium mining in the region,

790
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:24,120
albeit not for
battery production.

791
00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:27,720
Okay, so this is the NOA pit,

792
00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:31,561
which is currently
being operated

793
00:39:31,573 --> 00:39:34,360
for the purpose of
extracting lithium

794
00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:38,600
and quartz and feldspar for
the ceramics industry right now.

795
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:41,000
Basically,
there is already lithium mining.

796
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:45,200
Exactly, there is lithium mining
happening right in front of us.

797
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:47,560
Why do people think
it's toxic, then?

798
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:50,840
It's issues of perception.

799
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:54,000
It's issues of perception
because people don't understand

800
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:55,440
what lithium is.

801
00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,597
They don't understand
how it's transformed

802
00:39:58,609 --> 00:40:00,640
to become a battery,
for example.

803
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,440
They're very much unaware

804
00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:04,421
of the fact that
they're in contact

805
00:40:04,433 --> 00:40:06,080
with lithium on a daily basis.

806
00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:12,120
If we look at a ceramic cup,
people drink coffee,

807
00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:14,880
every day they put
lithium to their lips.

808
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,551
The rock that's
used to make this

809
00:40:17,563 --> 00:40:19,920
ceramic could have
come from this mine.

810
00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:22,560
That's one of the major
challenges that we have

811
00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:24,480
in our engagement
with the community.

812
00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:29,200
It's trying to clarify
any misunderstandings,

813
00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:33,280
using facts in order to explain
exactly what you just said.

814
00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:35,835
There's already
lithium being mined

815
00:40:35,847 --> 00:40:38,320
here and in other
parts of Portugal,

816
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:41,360
and it's not different from
what we're going to be doing,

817
00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,040
except we're going to be
doing it at a larger scale.

818
00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:48,320
Fighting feelings with
facts is not an easy method.

819
00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:49,880
It's not easy.

820
00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:52,677
As long as we
keep giving facts and

821
00:40:52,689 --> 00:40:54,960
we build trust with
the communities,

822
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:56,933
those feelings are going to

823
00:40:56,945 --> 00:40:59,000
become feelings
of understanding,

824
00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:02,440
acknowledgment, and
hopefully acceptance one day.

825
00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:07,475
Building trust with
local communities

826
00:41:07,487 --> 00:41:09,480
remains a significant challenge

827
00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:10,560
in Portugal.

828
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,165
In Dornelas,
another nearby civil parish

829
00:41:13,177 --> 00:41:15,400
where the mine is
set to be developed,

830
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:19,560
residents can speak more freely
than in Covas do Barroso,

831
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,200
allowing Jones to hear a
wider range of perspectives.

832
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:26,920
Do you think this project is
an opportunity for the villages?

833
00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:30,691
I am not against it,
I can't see that

834
00:41:30,703 --> 00:41:34,040
it would bring
something bad here.

835
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:38,240
When things come here
we're probably already gone.

836
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:40,320
Okay, thanks.

837
00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:44,042
It will affect the
life in the villages,

838
00:41:44,054 --> 00:41:45,920
and it will have
impact on our water.

839
00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:49,320
They will probably
need our water.

840
00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:51,840
We are trying to
minimize the water use.

841
00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:58,600
This is what we are doing for
our food, animals, everything.

842
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,372
What is the opinion
here in Dornelas,

843
00:42:01,384 --> 00:42:03,560
is the majority for or against?

844
00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:05,037
It varies, there are people

845
00:42:05,049 --> 00:42:06,720
against and in
favor of the mine,

846
00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:08,788
but I think that here in

847
00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,680
Dornelas,
and the Dornelas parish,

848
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:14,461
there is a part
which is in favor of

849
00:42:14,473 --> 00:42:16,800
it, and the majority
is in favor of it.

850
00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:18,934
I don't know about
the rest of the

851
00:42:18,946 --> 00:42:21,320
people because many
are also against it.

852
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,040
We live in a region
with a rich mining past.

853
00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:29,160
What are your major concerns
about this project?

854
00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:32,400
My major concerns
are with water tables.

855
00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:34,800
That concerns me a lot.

856
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:36,400
- Water?
- Yes.

857
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,080
In southern European countries
like Portugal,

858
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:43,440
water usage is a major concern.

859
00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,240
With frequent forest fires,

860
00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:48,520
locals worry if there
will be enough water left

861
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:49,680
for agriculture.

862
00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:53,920
One of the main concerns
I hear all the time

863
00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,185
is that you're going
to use so much water,

864
00:42:56,197 --> 00:42:58,240
and this region
doesn't have any water.

865
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:00,800
Actually this region
has a lot of water.

866
00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:02,520
It rains a lot in this region,

867
00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,668
and rain is where
we're going to be

868
00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:06,560
collecting our
water for this mine.

869
00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:08,760
We won't collect
water from the river,

870
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,194
and we're not
going to be ejecting

871
00:43:11,206 --> 00:43:13,440
any kind of water
into the river.

872
00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:16,537
We're going to
be using rainwater

873
00:43:16,549 --> 00:43:18,120
through water retention systems

874
00:43:18,720 --> 00:43:22,520
over here, over here, and over
here, to collect the rainwater,

875
00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:25,120
which will be used
to supply the mine.

876
00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:28,640
Will you then recycle the water
once it's in the system?

877
00:43:28,720 --> 00:43:31,360
Absolutely, it's going to be
working in a closed circuit

878
00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:34,505
where 85 percent
of the water used will

879
00:43:34,517 --> 00:43:37,440
be recycled and
reused into the mine.

880
00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:39,560
Why are you losing
15 percent then?

881
00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:43,560
15 percent
is lost through evaporation,

882
00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:47,160
and is also lost through
the humidity of the material

883
00:43:47,318 --> 00:43:49,078
that's transported
out of the mine.

884
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:54,240
With the urgent need
to mitigate climate change,

885
00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:56,526
the mining industry
has been given

886
00:43:56,538 --> 00:43:58,440
a crucial role in human history.

887
00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:03,000
However, to avoid
repeating past mistakes,

888
00:44:03,240 --> 00:44:05,957
continuous dialogue
with local communities

889
00:44:05,969 --> 00:44:08,000
and civil society is essential.

890
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:10,720
A future mine?

891
00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:12,640
No, thank you!

892
00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:14,160
In the Barroso region,

893
00:44:14,240 --> 00:44:17,040
such a dialogue
has been challenging so far,

894
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,360
but things are
starting to change.

895
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,600
Early 2025, a new association,

896
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:26,000
Associação Futuro
do Barroso has been founded.

897
00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,520
This association,
which also includes members

898
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:31,920
from the Covas do
Barroso village itself,

899
00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:35,600
does not take a position
for or against the project.

900
00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:40,400
Instead, the organization is
dedicated to fostering dialogue

901
00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:42,901
and collaborative
solutions towards

902
00:44:42,913 --> 00:44:44,840
a responsible mining project.

903
00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:48,320
We know and are aware

904
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:53,600
that lithium mining will bring
some difficulties

905
00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:58,360
and problems to the
municipality. But we must know

906
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:01,046
how to transfer
these difficulties into

907
00:45:01,136 --> 00:45:03,558
great opportunities
for development.

908
00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:11,840
In Serbia, skepticism
and distrust still prevail.

909
00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:14,597
However,
there may be a solution to

910
00:45:14,609 --> 00:45:16,920
overcoming Serbia's
lithium paradox.

911
00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:20,000
In countries where trust
in the government is low,

912
00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:24,320
involving a third-party auditor
could be a crucial step forward.

913
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:27,160
I believe they already do so

914
00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:30,440
because I think if you do want
to produce any of your reports

915
00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,480
for environmental impact
assessment, for example,

916
00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:34,720
you need to have
third-party assessments.

917
00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:38,640
I do think it would be very
helpful to engage with IRMA,

918
00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:41,080
the Initiative for Responsible
Mining Assurance,

919
00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:42,880
and to undergo a self-audit.

920
00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:44,800
Following that, a proper audit

921
00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:48,600
because it would really show
to the global NGO community,

922
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,360
first of all, transparently,
how they're doing things

923
00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:54,120
and secondly, that they
are trying to do things better.

924
00:45:56,120 --> 00:45:58,095
IRMA has developed comprehensive

925
00:45:58,107 --> 00:46:00,280
standards for
responsible mining.

926
00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:02,667
These standards address key

927
00:46:02,679 --> 00:46:04,960
areas such as
business integrity,

928
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,760
environmental stewardship,
social responsibility,

929
00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:10,520
and community engagement.

930
00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:13,055
They were created
in collaboration

931
00:46:13,067 --> 00:46:14,920
with civil society
organizations,

932
00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:18,920
workers, environmental
groups and industry experts.

933
00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:23,040
IRMA could build
up trust in that way?

934
00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:26,320
IRMA can help with
the global community

935
00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:28,128
to show that their intentions

936
00:46:28,140 --> 00:46:30,240
are going in the
right direction.

937
00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:35,280
If the EU wants
to evolve to mining practices

938
00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:37,680
that are genuinely supported
by the public,

939
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:42,600
IRMA could serve as a key source
of inspiration for an improved

940
00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:46,840
rather than weakened legislative
framework for mining in Europe.

941
00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:54,440
For Professor Lima
from the University of Porto,

942
00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:56,160
the situation is clear.

943
00:46:56,760 --> 00:47:00,680
Mining could give Portugal
and Europe a well-needed boost

944
00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:03,160
in a rapidly changing
geopolitical world.

945
00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:07,880
He hopes NIMBY can be
gradually replaced by PIMBY,

946
00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:11,920
from Not In My Backyard
to Please In My Backyard.

947
00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:14,720
To mine or not to mine,

948
00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:17,280
that is now the question
for the Portuguese people.

949
00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:23,440
As you said, yes, we have the
best resources in spodumene,

950
00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:25,842
and spodumene is being mined for

951
00:47:25,854 --> 00:47:28,480
50 years for the
lithium industry.

952
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:31,120
- It's proven technology.
- It's a proven technology.

953
00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:32,680
It's something that works,
really,

954
00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:36,468
and it's an
opportunity for Portugal

955
00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:39,120
to take advantage
of these resources

956
00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:42,653
to try to do the lithium value

957
00:47:42,665 --> 00:47:46,240
chain from mining
to the refinery

958
00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:51,040
and then we have a very nice
automobile industry in Portugal.

959
00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:53,280
Lithium has the power

960
00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:55,600
to bring the Portuguese
back to this country.

961
00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:58,000
These villages that
we were seeing,

962
00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:01,600
when I started to work here,
they had many more people.

963
00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:05,400
Their population
is now decreasing.

964
00:48:06,240 --> 00:48:09,800
I see this not as a threat,
but as an opportunity

965
00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:11,956
to bring some people to these

966
00:48:11,968 --> 00:48:14,560
areas, to live here
with families,

967
00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:16,560
to work here in industry.

968
00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:18,720
It's an opportunity.

969
00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:20,822
Portugal is now at a crossroads,

970
00:48:20,834 --> 00:48:23,000
you go either left
or you go right.

971
00:48:23,240 --> 00:48:24,640
Do you think it will happen?

972
00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:28,800
I believe that in some of
the places it will happen

973
00:48:29,040 --> 00:48:31,120
because the people
will understand

974
00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:35,920
that the advantages are more
than the disadvantages.

975
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,593
Of course,
mining has disadvantages,

976
00:48:38,605 --> 00:48:41,240
but it can bring a
lot of advantages.

977
00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:44,400
It's what we need
to communicate to local people.

978
00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:48,316
With the EU backing multiple

979
00:48:48,328 --> 00:48:50,600
strategic lithium
mining projects,

980
00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:53,191
Europe seems to
mean business but

981
00:48:53,203 --> 00:48:55,800
mining alone won't
solve the problem.

982
00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:57,480
Without refining capacity,

983
00:48:57,680 --> 00:49:00,920
Europe remains dependent
on third countries like China.

984
00:49:01,360 --> 00:49:05,040
Right now lithium refining
is almost non-existent

985
00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:08,320
across the continent,
but things are changing.

986
00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:12,040
Germany has recently opened
a small semi-refinery,

987
00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:14,040
while the Finnish
company, Metso,

988
00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:16,880
is developing innovative,
cleaner technologies

989
00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:19,040
to refine lithium
from spodumene.

990
00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:22,520
Here we have the spodumene,

991
00:49:22,960 --> 00:49:25,200
a heat-treated spodumene sample
from Finland.

992
00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:27,720
It could be the same
as the Portuguese material.

993
00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:28,920
Yes, absolutely.

994
00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:30,937
This offers an

995
00:49:30,949 --> 00:49:33,200
environmentally-friendly
alternative

996
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,960
to China's dominant
lithium processing method.

997
00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:39,320
Is it unique for Europe
or for the world?

998
00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:43,960
Yes, in many ways.

999
00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:47,600
I would say that this is
Europe's best pilot plant.

1000
00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:49,258
Probably the best pilot plant.

1001
00:49:49,270 --> 00:49:51,120
Probably the best
pilot plant, yes.

1002
00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:53,520
It's still a pilot plant,

1003
00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:56,480
but the potential
of this technology is immense,

1004
00:49:57,080 --> 00:50:00,080
and the timing couldn't be
more crucial with China's grip

1005
00:50:00,160 --> 00:50:01,785
on global lithium refining

1006
00:50:01,797 --> 00:50:04,000
showing no signs
of slowing down.

1007
00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:08,520
Here we see your pilot reactor,
how big will the real stuff be?

1008
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:12,360
It will be about
1,000 times bigger.

1009
00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:14,120
- A thousand times bigger.
- Yes.

1010
00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:16,517
What makes this
process so superior

1011
00:50:16,529 --> 00:50:18,840
to the conventional
Chinese process?

1012
00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:23,320
There are actually two things,
it's the waste generation.

1013
00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:27,120
Generally, it's very low and
then water consumption is low

1014
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:29,880
because we are recycling
all the water in the process.

1015
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:33,080
Is this then the European way
to solve the problems?

1016
00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:34,440
Absolutely.

1017
00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:36,423
This is a game-changing
technology

1018
00:50:36,435 --> 00:50:38,240
in lithium hydroxide production.

1019
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:40,485
Since we are not producing any

1020
00:50:40,497 --> 00:50:43,400
harmful waste,
it can be all recycled.

1021
00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:45,200
We are not producing
sodium sulfate,

1022
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:48,600
which is the issue with the
conventional processing.

1023
00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:50,960
Then we also
recycle all the water.

1024
00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:53,054
Practically all the
water that we put

1025
00:50:53,066 --> 00:50:55,080
in the process is
purified and recycled.

1026
00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:58,840
Here in this new
lithium refining process,

1027
00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,680
they found
the holy grail-type of solution.

1028
00:51:02,080 --> 00:51:05,200
Rather than using sulfuric acid
as a leaching agent,

1029
00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,720
which generates
the sodium sulfate waste stream,

1030
00:51:08,240 --> 00:51:11,600
they work with a very simple
product called soda ash.

1031
00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:13,720
This soda ash allows you

1032
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:16,720
to get the lithium
out of the spodumene concentrate

1033
00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:20,840
and provides you
with a very clean process,

1034
00:51:20,920 --> 00:51:23,000
which is almost zero waste.

1035
00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:25,125
That's a huge step forward for

1036
00:51:25,137 --> 00:51:27,400
lithium refining in
the Western world.

1037
00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:31,240
This is the white gold
coming out of your process?

1038
00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:33,948
Yes, this is the lithium
product that

1039
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:36,600
can be used now
in electric vehicles.

1040
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:38,520
This is coming out
of your pilot plant.

1041
00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:40,238
When will we see the real stuff

1042
00:51:40,250 --> 00:51:42,120
coming out of an
industrial plant?

1043
00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:44,700
Yes, there is a Keliber
project which

1044
00:51:44,712 --> 00:51:46,960
is under construction
in Finland,

1045
00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:50,520
and it will start
up in mid-2025.

1046
00:51:51,280 --> 00:51:53,800
That would be the first
lithium battery-grade quality

1047
00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:55,000
we can produce in Europe.

1048
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:56,438
Yes, that's correct.

1049
00:51:56,450 --> 00:51:59,320
In Europe,
we definitely need refineries.

1050
00:51:59,600 --> 00:52:04,480
At this moment, we don't really
have any large-scale refineries.

1051
00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:07,200
This is something,
we cannot continue like that.

1052
00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:09,667
No, I guess this technology

1053
00:52:09,679 --> 00:52:11,960
opens up the
possibility to do it

1054
00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:13,920
in a sustainable manner also.

1055
00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:16,640
You will be conquering
all of Europe?

1056
00:52:17,398 --> 00:52:20,358
At least, yes,
and the rest of the world.

1057
00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:27,520
To complete a full European mine
to EV value chain,

1058
00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:31,120
battery and car manufacturers
should also be included.

1059
00:52:31,440 --> 00:52:34,120
In Serbia,
this scenario is unfolding.

1060
00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:36,920
Car manufacturer
Stellantis plans

1061
00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:40,160
to build its electric
Grande Panda in Serbia.

1062
00:52:40,480 --> 00:52:44,200
Additionally, Serbian battery
manufacturer ElevenEs

1063
00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:46,640
is prepared to open
new battery factories

1064
00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:49,600
in the country when the
lithium mine is operational.

1065
00:52:51,440 --> 00:52:54,960
It means a revolution in
economic growth in the country.

1066
00:52:55,800 --> 00:52:59,040
Actually, this product you see
here is the first LFP battery

1067
00:52:59,360 --> 00:53:01,480
made in Europe
several years ago.

1068
00:53:02,160 --> 00:53:03,720
It's lithium-iron-phosphate,

1069
00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:06,720
which actually has
lithium carbonate in itself,

1070
00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:09,440
which basically connects
the whole value chain.

1071
00:53:09,640 --> 00:53:12,720
Jadar will produce the lithium
carbonate for your batteries?

1072
00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:17,640
That's the hope for the future,
that we have everything local

1073
00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:21,640
and that we basically have
the first LFP value chain

1074
00:53:21,840 --> 00:53:24,080
outside of Asia,
present in Europe.

1075
00:53:24,200 --> 00:53:25,517
Since now you are dependent on

1076
00:53:25,529 --> 00:53:27,080
China for your
lithium carbonate?

1077
00:53:27,200 --> 00:53:30,560
That's correct, today everything
is basically coming from China

1078
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:32,840
because it's a single market
where everything is created

1079
00:53:32,920 --> 00:53:34,040
from the raw materials

1080
00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:36,320
but it's about
to change in the next years.

1081
00:53:36,400 --> 00:53:37,840
We have to be smart about it.

1082
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:40,080
If we do the right things,

1083
00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:41,582
we will have one of the largest

1084
00:53:41,594 --> 00:53:43,280
economic opportunities
of our lifetime.

1085
00:53:43,360 --> 00:53:45,440
How many jobs
are we talking about in Serbia?

1086
00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:47,260
We're talking
about 20,000 jobs.

1087
00:53:47,272 --> 00:53:48,200
Twenty thousand?

1088
00:53:48,360 --> 00:53:50,156
20,000 new jobs
to be created only

1089
00:53:50,168 --> 00:53:52,080
by the battery
value chain industry.

1090
00:53:52,320 --> 00:53:53,838
Let's not forget,
it's supporting

1091
00:53:53,850 --> 00:53:55,560
the transition to
climate neutrality.

1092
00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:58,440
It's absolutely the essence
of climate neutrality.

1093
00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:01,560
As you know, this will
not only be used in cars,

1094
00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:03,600
this thing will be
used in buses, in

1095
00:54:03,612 --> 00:54:05,440
trucks, in construction
machinery,

1096
00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:09,320
in your home, in storage,
in large industrial solar parks.

1097
00:54:10,160 --> 00:54:11,520
It's the central item

1098
00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:14,600
of the energy storage revolution
we're about to face.

1099
00:54:18,920 --> 00:54:23,320
How much material do you
need to produce one EV battery?

1100
00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:26,160
In this kind of quarry,

1101
00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:29,346
you need around one
meter by one meter,

1102
00:54:29,358 --> 00:54:32,360
and then two meters,
two cubic meters.

1103
00:54:32,720 --> 00:54:36,320
Then it's around
six tons of material.

1104
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:40,118
6,000 kilograms of
rock for one battery.

1105
00:54:40,130 --> 00:54:41,240
One battery.

1106
00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:43,921
That is Europe's
lithium paradox, we

1107
00:54:43,933 --> 00:54:46,000
have it but we don't
seem to mine it.

1108
00:54:46,600 --> 00:54:47,880
Yes, it's like that.

1109
00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:51,200
I think that there was a wrong
communication at some point

1110
00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:53,280
that people don't understand

1111
00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:57,920
that, Europe importing
from China,

1112
00:54:58,400 --> 00:55:03,040
it's not an obligation, we
can do it ourselves in Europe,

1113
00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:06,720
from mining to the
complete lithium value chain.

1114
00:55:07,800 --> 00:55:10,760
The people look at a white rock
and they see a problem.

1115
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:13,824
I see this white
rock as a solution

1116
00:55:13,836 --> 00:55:15,960
for the interior of Portugal.

1117
00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:19,999
Clearly, Europe
has the technology

1118
00:55:20,024 --> 00:55:22,573
to mine, refine,
and recycle lithium.

1119
00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:24,440
But the clock is ticking.

1120
00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:27,440
The Chinese are not holding back
in the supply chain.

1121
00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:30,320
Climate change
is spiralling out of control.

1122
00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:33,383
We need to act fast,
while at the

1123
00:55:33,408 --> 00:55:36,293
same time respect
local communities

1124
00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:38,360
to be part of this storyline.

1125
00:55:38,720 --> 00:55:41,219
We need to make haste slowly.