In the coming period, the mine in Vares could bring investors, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), more funds than earlier estimates indicated.
Namely, although the initial research of this area determined a large amount of zinc, barite and lead, additional significant amounts of silver, gold and copper were discovered.
Although many would think that gold is the key in this whole story, another metal could become number one in demand.
The increasing emphasis on the transition to a climate-neutral economy is leading to an increase in the demand for copper in the world. Copper, known as the red metal, is becoming a key raw material in the fight to decarbonize the economy.
It is obvious that the electrification of the economy, a key step towards a more sustainable energy system, requires a significant amount of copper. If energy production is to be separated from the use of fossil sources, this can only be achieved by electrifying the economy, and for this, “red metal” is necessary.
Joachim Berlebach from Earth Resource Investments from Zurich, in an interview with DW, recently stated that copper is the most important raw material for the energy revolution based on its physical properties, above all its electrical conductivity.
”If we really want to abandon the use of fossil energy sources, we should have approximately the same amount of copper in the next three decades as in the entire human history so far,” believes Berlebach.
Electric cars also play a role in the increasing demand for copper. In fact, a high-end electric car can contain about 78 kg of copper, compared to about 22 kg in an equivalent gasoline-powered model, according to Wood Mackenzie’s global energy transition database and analytics.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), annual demand for copper by 2050 requires significant investment in new mines, but investment has been declining in recent years.
Since BiH is rich in mineral resources such as iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc and copper, and mining is deeply rooted, the opening of new mines is not excluded. In addition to being rich in the mentioned ores, there is another ore hidden in the bowels of BiH, the demand for which will only grow in the coming period.
We are talking about lithium, without which there are no powerful batteries installed in electric cars, as well as lithium-ion batteries for mobile phones and laptops, without which today’s world is practically unimaginable.
It was previously reported that the global demand for lithium will grow at a rate of 33.3 percent per year, and there is currently no alternative to it. Friedrich Katzer, one of the most important geologists in BiH, said back in the days of Austria-Hungary: – BiH is a country extremely rich in ores and minerals.
When it comes to lithium, it is also found in the area of Domaljevac-Samac, in the central part of Bosnia. In the local community of Suvo Polje near Bijeljina, they claim that there is indeed lithium, however, the City of Bijeljina did not want to give permission for the performance of detailed geological research of lithium and pine to the Bijeljina company Rodon because there is not enough information or a legal basis for issuing the requested consent.
Research was approved in Ugljevik and Lopare. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mining of the Republika Srpska (RS), most locations with lithium are located in the area of Zvornik, Biznis Info writes.
E.Dz.
