The Rio Tinto company said in its latest quarterly report that it is still counting on its lithium-borate mining project in Serbia despite the Serbian government decision not to allow the project to go ahead following mass protests.

“We continue to believe that the Jadar lithium-borate project in Serbia has the potential to be a world-class asset, that will support the development of other future industries in Serbia, acting as a catalyst for tens of thousands of jobs for current and future generations, and sustainably producing materials critical to the energy transition. We are focused on consultation with all stakeholders to explore options related to the project’s future,” the company report said.

The Serbian government said in January 2022 that it was revoking its decree which was part of the initial steps for the Rio Tinto project in western Serbia following weeks of mass protests across the country. Environmental activists have been warning since then that the company has not backed out of the project and was quietly buying land in the Jadar area.

A lawyer for the Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment (RERI) said early in May this year that the proceedings to issue a permit for the mine is still underway in the Mining and Energy Ministry. She said that was a step that has to be taken before Rio Tinto can start mining lithium.