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Winning over public secret to EU's mineral supply push, says industry

Europe's efforts to ensure materials of crucial minerals required for its green and digital transitions and to reduce its dependence on China are struggling to acquire public approval, leading industry officials said on Wednesday.

The EU Important Raw Materials Act, due to go into force next week, sets targets for the bloc to mine, recycle and process minerals consisting of lithium and copper by 2030.

It also sets timeframes for strategic projects to protect licenses, however it will not fall to 27 months for a mine from the present 15-year standard without winning over a sceptical public.

Bernd Schaefer, the CEO of EIT RawMaterials, an EU-funded group leading a sector alliance, said in an interview that permitting for mining and recycling were a difficulty.

This is still the significant concern, together with the social licence to run, which is definitely needed to get the license, he stated on the sidelines of a conference in Brussels.

Schaefer said the key to social acceptance was active engagement with local neighborhoods and pro-active communicating, mentioning the Nordics as examples of where this had actually tended to work.

One of the greatest battles has actually come over Rio Tinto's. planned $2.4 billion Jadar lithium project in. EU prospect nation Serbia, which revoked licences in January. 2022 after massive environmental demonstrations before a general. election.

Chad Blewitt, Rio Tinto's handling director of the job,. stated the company was suffering another election cycle,. including local elections on June 2, for its mine that could. produce enough lithium for one million electric vehicles. batteries per year.

The company, he stated, was battling a lot of. disinformation, such as that the mine will be opencast and. pollute the water system. In fact, it will be underground and. Rio Tinto states the waste will end up as brick-like blocks that. could be used in roadway building and construction, instead of sit in a. tailings dam that has the possible to collapse.

Blewitt said Rio Tinto had initially thought people would. not believe more extravagant claims on social networks and had actually come. to comprehend that tasks needed more stakeholder engagement. and interaction at an earlier phase.