Euro Lithium Balkan is a subsidiary of the Canadian company Euro Lithium Inc. In Serbia, it has its headquarters in Divci near Valjevo. The company is engaged in geological research of boron and lithium in the Valjevo-Mionica sedimentary basin, which so far has yielded positive results.
Although lithium (Li) has become one of the most interesting mineral raw materials in recent years, the minerals of the element boron (B), borates, are a raw material that has a very wide number of applications across many industries. It is almost impossible to imagine a product, especially those related to modern, green, and agricultural technologies, which do not require borates.
The EU has recently classified borates as a “critical raw material”, since they have high economic importance, and due to the lack of similar deposits globally, are reliant on a single supplier. The risk of supply constraint is very high and borates are furthermore non-substitutable and very difficult to recycle. These facts make the mineral deposit that we have discovered and are further exploring to be very exciting.
It is important to mention the economic, social and environmental analyses, which are crucial when considering to develop a mineral resource (i.e. to transition from the exploration phase to the exploitation phase). When and if that decision is to be made in the future, it must be made together with the local community.
Geological research itself is performed in several phases. Exploratory drilling, which is the predominant method of our field research, yields representative material from the depths of the earth. By further processing of the material, we can interpret the mineral composition, and by subsequent analysis, we can also understand the percentage (content) of boron and lithium in the mineral deposit. Based on this data, further analysis and testing are carried out, especially in terms of technological processing of ore material using innovative and eco-smart technologies. It is important to mention the economic, social and environmental analyses, which are crucial when considering to develop a mineral resource (i.e. to transition from the exploration phase to the exploitation phase). When and if that decision is to be made, it must be made together with the local community.
Euro Lithium’s team in Serbia is comprised exclusively of local professionals, mostly from Valjevo. In addition to dedication and enthusiasm in conducting geological research and accompanying activities, our team is excited by that fact that boron and lithium are the critical raw materials of the future. Both elements, i.e. their compounds, are an integral part of the products that form the basis for achieving the Green Agenda and enable sustainable economic development in Serbia, Europe, and the world. The fact that our research’s results could have a positive impact on the further development of our society, especially in Valjevo and Serbia, gives us great motivation.
(Photos: Euro Lithium Balkan)