MINEX Forum

Tag: European lithium supply

  • Savannah Resources Resumes Barroso Lithium Work After Portugal Government Overrides Court Injunction on National Interest Grounds

    Savannah Resources Resumes Barroso Lithium Work After Portugal Government Overrides Court Injunction on National Interest Grounds

    Savannah Resources has resumed work at its Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal after the government declared the project of national and European significance and succeeded in lifting a court-ordered suspension that had halted operations for three weeks.

    Work was suspended on 9 June after the Mirandela Administrative and Fiscal Court granted a precautionary injunction filed by the Barroso Assembly of Common Land Holders, following a second administrative easement that gave Savannah access to community and private land for geotechnical work. In its response to the court, the Portuguese government argued that the suspension could cause serious harm to the public interest, delay a project of recognised national and European strategic importance, and jeopardise the energy transition. The suspension was lifted on Monday and Savannah said it will reinitiate fieldwork and complete the planned work programme.

    There is no legal right of appeal against the lifting of the injunction, though opponents may attempt further legal action.

    The Barroso deposit in northern Portugal hosts resources exceeding 39 million tonnes of spodumene, making it Europe’s largest lithium deposit. Potential extensions of 35 million to 62 million tonnes could push total resources above 100 million tonnes and more than double the projected mine lifespan to over 50 years. The project is one of 47 designated as strategic under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act.

    The project has faced nearly a decade of sustained community opposition and numerous legal challenges. A final investment decision is expected by the end of 2026, with construction planned for 2027 and first production targeted for 2028.

  • US Startup Atana Elements Plans Lithium Exploration Beneath Volkswagen and BMW Factory Sites in Germany and Poland

    US Startup Atana Elements Plans Lithium Exploration Beneath Volkswagen and BMW Factory Sites in Germany and Poland

    American startup Atana Elements is targeting lithium exploration beneath industrial areas in Germany and Poland where Volkswagen and BMW operate manufacturing facilities, in a project backed by Chilean mining major Antofagasta that aims to reduce Europe’s dependence on Chinese critical mineral imports.

    The company has secured exploration licences covering approximately 1.5 million acres across regions around Salzgitter in Germany and Wrocław in Poland, according to the Financial Times. The fact that the exploration areas lie beneath facilities already consuming lithium in battery production is described as coincidental rather than by design.

    Atana Elements is combining historical geological data with artificial intelligence technologies to identify promising lithium deposits, working in cooperation with Antofagasta. The company estimates it could extract up to 26 million tonnes of lithium across the two sites over the next 20 years — a figure that, if realised, would represent a significant addition to European domestic critical mineral supply. However, analysts cited by the Financial Times cautioned that the project remains at an early stage and that any assessment of actual production volumes is premature.

    The initiative reflects growing interest in unconventional domestic lithium sources across Europe as governments and industries seek to reduce exposure to Chinese-dominated supply chains for battery materials essential to the electric vehicle transition.

  • Savannah Resources Targets 50-Year Mine Life at Europe’s Largest Lithium Deposit as Portugal Project Accelerates Toward 2028 Production

    Savannah Resources Targets 50-Year Mine Life at Europe’s Largest Lithium Deposit as Portugal Project Accelerates Toward 2028 Production

    London-listed Savannah Resources is pressing ahead with its Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal with growing confidence that the deposit — already Europe’s largest — can compete globally and become a meaningful contributor to reducing the continent’s dependence on Chinese lithium supply.

    Speaking to Reuters on Tuesday, Chief Executive Emanuel Proença said work had “accelerated in recent months on all fronts,” pointing to advances in engineering studies, progress on environmental requirements and preparations for project financing ahead of a final investment decision expected by the end of this year. Construction is planned for 2027, with first production targeted in 2028.

    Confirmed resources at the Barroso spodumene deposit were upgraded in September to over 39 million metric tonnes, up from 28 million metric tonnes. Proença said potential resource extensions of between 35 million and 62 million metric tonnes could push the total above 100 million metric tonnes, more than doubling the mine’s projected operational lifespan to over 50 years. The company has also received a €110 million grant from the Portuguese government, which Proença described as “a positive step” in the project’s financial development.

    On competitiveness, Proença said Barroso could break even at $600 per tonne of spodumene concentrate — a level he said would allow it “to compete with the majors” — at a time when spodumene shipped to China is trading above $2,000 per tonne. The project’s proximity to European refineries was cited as a further structural advantage, reducing logistical costs and supply chain exposure to China.

    Europe’s push to build domestic lithium extraction and refining capacity remains constrained, and Barroso is widely regarded as one of the continent’s best near-term prospects for closing that gap. However, the project has faced local community opposition since Barroso was designated a World Heritage agricultural site in 2018. Proença acknowledged the tension but said resistance was “gradually decreasing” as the company increases local hiring and intensifies engagement with surrounding communities.