Potential lithium deposits, a raw material of strategic importance, have not yet been comprehensively explored in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). However, confirmed reserves in the eastern part of the country are estimated to exceed one million tons of concentrate.
This information was confirmed on Friday by representatives of the Center for Policy and Governance, an independent think tank based in Sarajevo. Together with the Green Club in the BiH Parliament, they initiated a public discussion on critical materials, their potential deposits, and the quantities available, aiming to plan their future exploitation.
“Lithium has not been fully explored. Around Lopare, over a million tons of concentrate have been found, but it is also present along the Drina River and in central Bosnia, extending to Herzegovina,” said Haris Abaspahic from the organization. They compiled and systematized the currently available data on BiH‘s mineral potential, which includes 143 confirmed locations with strategic and critical raw materials.
Current coal reserves in BiH are estimated at five billion metric tons, and iron ore at 653 million tons.
Bauxite reserves are estimated at 120 million tons, while zinc and lead reserves are estimated at 56 million tons each. There are also smaller reserves of magnesium, manganese, and antimony.
How much lithium is there?
The exact amount of lithium, a resource crucial for producing batteries for electric vehicles, remains unknown.
The estimate of 1.5 million tons of lithium carbonate is based on research conducted in the municipalities of Lopare and Ugljevik. Additional preliminary investigations have been initiated in the municipalities of Cajnice, Jezero, and Sipovo, as well as in Bijeljina, Zvornik, and Brcko, with a total of 20 potential deposits identified.
Lithium is included in the European Union’s (EU) list of 30 critical materials of strategic importance and is also among the 34 such materials identified by the United States (U.S.).
The price of lithium could increase up to 42 times by 2040, given global decarbonization plans and the goal of net-zero CO2 emissions.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, the critical raw materials sector is expected to surpass the financial significance of the oil sector within the next two decades.
Sasa Magazinovic, a BiH parliamentary representative and president of the Green Club, emphasized the necessity of immediately opening a nationwide dialogue on the exploitation of these resources, describing it as a strategic issue.
“This is indeed an economic opportunity, but it is also an environmental challenge,” said Magazinovic.
