Li
Environmental groups sue EU commission over Portugal lithium mine
Environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the European Commission over its decision to grant preferential “strategic” status to Portugal’s Barroso lithium mine project, developed by London-listed Savannah Resources.
Local residents’ association United in Defence of Covas do Barroso and ClientEarth group said they filed the lawsuit with the EU’s Court of Justice after Brussels refused to reconsider its 2025 decision under the Critical Raw Materials Act.
That was “despite detailed evidence showing the project poses serious environmental, social and safety risks”, they said in a statement.
Projects like Savannah’s in Portugal are seen as a key test of Europe’s ability to produce lithium and other materials seen as essential to the energy transition, but they often face opposition from environmental groups.
Barroso has been a World Heritage site for agriculture since 2018.
The groups said that securing access to critical raw materials “cannot come at the expense of environmental protection, public participation or community rights.”
“The energy transition must be based on law, science and justice – not political shortcuts that turn rural regions into sacrifice zones,” they said.
Savannah is developing the mining project in northern Barroso, which has estimated resources of the spodumene deposit — one of the lithium-bearing minerals — exceeding 39 million metric tons, making it the largest such deposit in Europe.
Last month, the Portuguese government awarded a 110 million euros ($130 million) grant to the project.
The Portuguese government hopes to launch a long-delayed tender for lithium prospecting licences this year, seen as key to building a domestic lithium value chain and cutting Europe’s reliance on imports from countries including China.
($1 = 0.8473 euros)
(By Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Susan Fenton)
Codelco forms joint venture with Quiborax for lithium exploration
Chile’s state miner Codelco and the Chilean acid producer Quiborax have created a joint venture to secure a special lithium operation contract for the Salar de Ascotan salt flat in northern Chile, the companies said on Thursday.
The partnership, called Minera Ascotan SpA, has an initial 34% stake for Codelco and 66% for Quiborax, but will seek a new majority partner once the contract is obtained.
The companies applied for the contract as a consortium in January 2025. The Mining Ministry is expected to present the new joint venture and its contract terms to Chile’s Comptroller General in coming weeks.
Codelco appointed Jaime San Martin and Felipe Killian as directors, while Quiborax named Allan Fosk, Ignacio Riva Posse and Yatsen Lee. Daniel Ocqueteau will serve as the joint venture’s general manager.
Salary de Ascotan is Chile’s third-largest salt flat by surface area with underground content. The salt flat has not been explored for lithium but has attractive exploration potential.
The venture is part of Chile’s National Lithium Strategy to maintain the country’s role in the global lithium industry.
“Lithium is key to the planet’s energy future, and Chile has a unique opportunity,” Codelco board president Maximo Pacheco said.
(By Iñigo Alexander; Editing by Cassandra Garrison)
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