Nauja Bianco’s Post

⛏️ International mining is not for the faint of heart or for those without the resources to support a project from discovery through years of ups and downs to eventually reach successful production. I say "successful production", because sometimes being allowed to produce doesn't mean you get to do what you want with the product. This is another example of why mining projects are so expensive and take so long to start. 🏛️💼📜 One of the hurdles that can come up at any time in the timeline is government intervention for any number of reasons. Sometimes it is under the guise of resource nationalism, but other times it is a result of changes in politics or law. The news has been full of headlines about recent events in Panama, but this is a story involving a lithium mine in Bosnia. ⚖️ Sometimes there is no alternative left other than challenging a government's position in court, something most mining companies are hesitant to do as it chills any hope of an amicable resolution to a dispute. It formally airs all of the laundry about the dispute, is expensive and time consuming. For many of of our Dentons colleagues and clients that join us during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference (or any of the other mining events we participate in), you have heard my international disputes partners Mike Schafler, FCIArb, QArb, Diora Ziyaeva and Rachel Howie talk about how these proceedings work. I have had many conversations with them about preparing for these kinds of proceedings, and more importantly, trying to bullet-proof my transaction documents to avoid ending up here. The Assay sets out the details in the article attached by Katie Gordon. Of course this will likely not be the end of the story.

𝗣𝗛-𝗦𝗼𝗞𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗩 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 Read full article here: https://lnkd.in/gGzZUWSH Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo expects that the partnership between Manila and Seoul on critical raw materials will boost the local electric vehicle (EV) industry. On the sidelines of the Philippines-Korea Business Forum here Monday, Rodolfo said the newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) will build a stable and resilient supply chain for critical raw materials in the country from mining to recycling. The MOU is one of the government-to-government deals signed between Manila and Seoul during the visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol here. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Yoon witnessed the MOU signing between Acting DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo, and Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Ahn Duk Geun. “For the first time, the DTI and DENR signed an agreement that encompasses everything from mining to mineral processing all the way to recycling. It’s truly a seamless approach to mineral development,” Rodolfo said. According to Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the cooperation will include the development of supply chain, trade facilitation, and research and development (R&D). Under the R&D partnership, Manila and Seoul will ensure the adaption of new technology, especially on rehabilitating mines and practicing sustainable mining. The partnership lasts for five years from the date of signing, extendable for another three years upon mutual agreement. Rodolfo said the MOU also aims to attract investments and create jobs, especially by bringing in capital from Korean companies that will invest in the critical raw materials supply chain. He added that the Board of Investments is already in talks with Korean EV battery manufacturers. For the private sector, Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) chairman emeritus Ferdinand Raquelsantos said the MOU between the two countries is a welcome development to support the local EV industry.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗮 🔋 In a significant update for Serbia's mining sector, plans for lithium mines have been revived following a temporary halt in 2021 due to environmental concerns. Recent reports indicate that Rio Tinto, an Australian mining giant, backed by assurances from the EU, is gearing up to resume operations by 2028. President Aleksandar Vučić has confirmed these plans, highlighting the potential for Serbia to become a key player in Europe's electric vehicle industry. According to the Financial Times, the proposed mine aims to produce 58,000 tonnes of lithium annually, a significant boost that could meet 𝟭𝟳% of Europe's electric vehicle needs or power approximately 𝟭.𝟭 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. This initiative aligns with Serbia's strategic partnership with the European Commission, signed in September 2023, focusing on batteries and raw materials. While environmental groups had previously raised concerns, Vučić reassured stakeholders of enhanced environmental standards and strict compliance measures put forth by Rio Tinto and endorsed by the EU. This collaboration underscores Serbia's commitment to sustainable development while leveraging its rich lithium deposits. Source: https://lnkd.in/dMhCkpwu

🇪🇺 🇷🇸 "EU Policy. Commissioner touts imminent agreement with Serbia on raw materials" - Lithium ⛏ Last legal hurdles are being discussed before an EU-Serbia trade partnership to source lithium from the Jadar region comes to fruition. An official trade partnership to source critical raw materials from Serbia is looming with negotiations at the final stages of legal wrangling, Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič told Euronews during a high-level event in Brussels. The trade deal between the EU and Serbia has been cooking for a while with the signing of a letter of intent last September — to strengthen and expand cooperation on critical raw materials and electric vehicles value chains — a clear signal that the EU executive and..... 👉 Article: https://lnkd.in/dSeRR-vg 🇪🇺 TA RawMaterials: https://lnkd.in/d_Np2KpZ (supported by EIT RawMaterials) #lithium #lithiumionbatteries #criticalminerals #serbia #electricvehicles #tradedeal #mining #evs #eu #riotinto #eupolicy

Hello everyone! Yesterday brought the very interesting news that the Lithium mining project in Serbia might be approved soon. It was rejected a couple of years ago, which caused a lot of hand wringing back then. I think the most interesting element of the Financial Times interview with the Serbian president Vučić is that he explicitly highlights how they are leveraging geopolitics to extract concessions: ‘EU officials “thought that we were going to give [the mine] to the Chinese”, Vučić said.’ (He later nuances that statement, but nudge nudge wink wink).   Elsewhere in the article: ‘Vučić indicated that he was confident he would also secure the necessary commitments from EU leaders for related investments in Serbia, such as battery manufacturing and electric vehicle production.’   So, very interesting, and fits in the trend that resource-rich countries don't want to just provide resources but want to move further in the value chain. The question remains how much advanced manufacturing fits in a country like Serbia. I'm all for having countries climb the value chain, but you also don’t want to set up countries for failure by creating the expectation that a couple of mines will entirely transform their economy. But this is just a thought, not the outcome of deep scientific work :) https://lnkd.in/eUgN3EMS

✨I am looking forward to the Ambassadors‘ Meeting at this years MiningForum and to discuss international raw materials policy and how to secure a sustainable, responsible and resilient supply of raw materials. 🌍 #amt #mininginnovation #supplychains #internationalexchange #rawmaterialspolicy

Could deep sea mining be the next business adventure for Norway? The next big business adventure based on the nature? Not necessarily in the interest of the nature. The reasons for Norway’s deep sea mining approval are obvious – minerals are essential for the green transition and the West’s supply independence. But what if we do not need to disturb the ecosystems and life under the water (#sdg14)? According to Emine Isciel, Head of Climate and Environment at Storebrand Asset Management, are scientist questioning whether we really need these minerals for the green transition. “The facts are that we need nature.” According to her and Eric Christian Pedersen, Head of Responsible Investments, Nordea Asset Management, should investments be directed towards the circular economy. “It is entirely possible that we can do it (green transition) with land-based occurrences and recycling.” Stortingets administrasjon #investering #dkpol #dkbiz #greeneconomy #deepseamining PFA Rasmus Bessing #biodiversity

📣 Köln, wir müssen reden! Yesterday evening, I had the great opportunity to take part in a pub talk in the #Eigenheim in Cologne- Nippes 🍻 Together with Lena Teschlade and the guests in the pub and in the livestream, I had the opportunity to talk about mineral resources and the structural change in the Rhenish lignite mining area. ❓What significance and importance will raw materials continue to have in the future, ❓how can a resource-sensitive circular economy be established, ❓what is the „Rheinisches Rohstoff- ReWIR“ all about, ❓what significance do the mine suppliers and service providers with their expertise have for securing industrial jobs in the region, ❓what vision and tasks are being pursued by the Mine ReWIR e. V. association, ❓ how can we foster a sustainable and responsible raw materials extraction and, last but not least, ❓how politics can actively support and drive the process forward were just some of the topics being discussed. 🙏Many thanks to the members of the state parliament Lena Teschlade and Jochen Ott as well as the local SPD association in Cologne-Nippes for the invitation and the exciting talk. #minerewir #structuralchange #mineralresources #amt

Some GOOD NEWS to close the weekend - particularly for Serbians after this evening’s defeat by England at the Euros! ⚽️ ‘Made In Europe - From Mine to Electric Vehicle’…now doesn’t that sound like a sensible idea! Here’s the GOOD NEWS! - that’s very much in prospect (as illustrated in Peter Tom Jones documentary of the same name from a few months ago - and more recently THIS news from the Financial Times! ‘Europe has virtually no domestic lithium production at present and Jadar would generate enough to meet 13 per cent of the continent’s forecast demand in 2030, according to Fastmarkets, a commodities research company’…the FT tells us. ‘Serbia is preparing to give Rio Tinto the green light to develop Europe’s largest lithium mine two years after Belgrade called off the project, paving the way for a significant boost for the continent’s electric vehicle industry’ I’ve been following this story very closely for some time, AND I took a trip out to Serbia last year to understand as many of the facts as possible… Whilst in the country, I spent some time at ANOTHER significant Lithium resource that’s being progressed in the country - this time, by a private enterprise. Petr Palkovsky CEO of Euro Lithium +Borates showed me around that resource…and his team gave me an invaluable geology lesson at the same time! I’ve also had occasion to discuss how this might all come together on various mining panels I’ve hosted over the past 18 months. (I’ll find any video of those and put a link in the comments section) #mining #gigafactory #automotive #criticalminerals

Ensuring sustainable raw material supply chains: A call for action from EU Trade Union Leaders #CriticalRawMaterials #CriticalRawMaterialsAct #EsgCriteria #Europe #GreenDeal #Mining #Raw https://lnkd.in/du-BPf5U