German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Tuesday for Germany to increase lithium production during a visit to the eastern town of Freiberg in the company of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
“If the transition to electric mobility is to succeed, there has to be adequate lithium for our industry,” Scholz said in the former mining town.
“We need this and other critical resources, on the one hand through reliable and diversified supply chains and on the other through promoting domestic mining,” he added.
The two leaders paid a visit to the Saxony state mining office in the town to gain information on environmentally friendly lithium mining.
“Demand for this resource will be huge, and for that reason it is important to implement as many projects as possible in Europe,” Scholz said, noting that many Germans were sceptical of mining for environmental reasons.
Scholz was in Freiberg in August to investigate lithium reserves at nearby Altenberg, which are predicted to cover demand for 1 million batteries per year.
The European Union struck a lithium deal with Serbia in July, with Scholz signing a memorandum of understanding with EU Vice President Maroš Šefčovič in Belgrade on lithium mining in Serbia’s Jadar Valley, home to Europe’s largest lithium reserves.
There has been strong resistance to the project from Serbian environmentalists, as the deposit lies in a scenic valley along the Jadar River.
The Serbian government revoked a licence issued to mining multinational Rio Tinto in 2022. The Constitutional Court however ruled against the move in July this year, leading to renewed mass protests. Serbian environmentalists mistrust government promises to maintain environmental standards.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia, stand in front of the Saxon Oberbergamt. The topic of the meeting in the Ore Mountains is sustainable lithium extraction for batteries for electric cars. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
