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Lithium mining on the Koralm: opportunities and concerns for the region
Carinthia approves lithium reduction on the Koralm without a environmental impact assessment. Criticism by the Greens and Team Carinthia Consider possible consequences and added value. More about that!
Lithium mining on the Koralm: opportunities and concerns for the region
In Carinthia, the planned lithium reduction on the Koralm has been intensively discussed for some time. Now there is news from the political corner: The Carinthian state government has decided that no environmental impact assessment (RRP) is required. This decision was announced on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in a meeting in which governor Deputy Martin Gruber (ÖVP) carried out that all relevant procedures were thoroughly examined and there are clear rules for it.
The economy and the structures for dismantling have already been determined. For this purpose, the Australian company ECM Lithium at GmbH has secured licenses for the project. It is planned to extract around 129,000 tons of pure lithium over a period of 14 years from around twelve million tons of rock. However, the processing of the lithium originally planned in Wolfsberg could be shifted to Saudi Arabia. This step was justified by the company for economic considerations, in particular the high energy costs in Europe.
Reactions of political actors
The decision to forego an environmental examination is met with considerable criticism. The green state spokeswoman Olga Voglauer expressed concerns and described the project as "exploitation without any noteworthy added value". It emphasized the need for environmentally friendly and socially responsible use of domestic resources in order to promote both regional added value and climate protection.
The Carinthia team, represented by its chairman Gerhard Köfer, is also concerned. He demands maximum transparency for residents who have many questions and concerns about this major project. Köfer refers to personal conversations with citizens who make it clear that there are open questions and considerable uncertainties among the population.
The debate about lithium reduction is part of a larger overall context: In Europe, the need is increasingly being discussed to secure resources for the production of batteries for electric vehicles efficiently and sustainably. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the project is implemented in practice and what further steps will follow to address the concerns of the citizens. For a detailed view of the case, See the report on www.5min.at.