German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Germany on Tuesday to increase lithium production during a visit to the eastern city of Freiberg accompanied by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
“If the transition to electric mobility is to succeed, there must be enough lithium for our industry,” Scholz said in the former mining town.
“We need these and other crucial resources, both through reliable and diversified supply chains and by promoting domestic mining,” he added.
The two leaders visited Saxony’s state mining office in the city to gather information on environmentally friendly lithium mining.
“The demand for this resource will be enormous, and for that reason it is important to implement as many projects as possible in Europe,” Scholz said, noting that many Germans were skeptical about mining for environmental reasons.
Scholz was in Freiberg in August to explore lithium reserves in nearby Altenberg, which are expected to meet 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 in Belgrade with EU Vice President Maroš Šefčovič on lithium mining in Serbia’s Jadar Valley, home to Europe’s largest lithium reserves.
There has been strong opposition to the project from Serbian environmentalists, as the deposit is located in a picturesque valley along the Jadar River.
The Serbian government revoked a permit issued to mining multinational Rio Tinto in 2022. However, the Constitutional Court ruled against this move in July this year, leading to renewed mass protests. Serbian environmentalists distrust the government’s 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
