The German company Zinwald Lithium has unveiled plans to mine the metal on the border with the Czech Republic. Local activists are skeptical. They announce that they will ally with opponents of lithium mining in Serbia.
Lithium mining in Germany could begin in 2030. As a preliminary feasibility study by Zinnwald Lithium has shown, the exploitation of this rare metal is technically possible and should be economically profitable.
It is the third largest planned lithium mining project in Europe – after Jadro (Serbia) and Cinovec (Czech Republic). The goal, according to company director Marko Ulig, is to “sustainably mine” the resource at a depth of between 100 and 400 meters below the village, which has a population of just under 400.
Ulig presented a preliminary feasibility study to local residents on Monday (March 31) and answered their questions. The lithium mine in Zinwald could operate for about 70 years, he said.
Around two hundred locals gathered at Ulig's company in Altenberg on Monday evening. In an interview with DW, some of them said they were afraid of the possible consequences of the mine for their lives, property and the environment. Some in the tourism industry fear that guests seeking peace will not return to this idyllic area in the future for fear of underground detonations and heavy machinery.
Resistance to lithium mining project
"I don't feel like I'm being well-informed by the company (Zinwald Lithium). We've been aware of this process since 2023, and it's been two years, and we keep asking the same questions and getting the same answers - that something is still unknown, that something is still unclear," complains Elke Helbig from the Berenštajn Civic Initiative.
Jens Weber from the Green League is also skeptical of the information presented by company director Marko Ulig: "The preliminary feasibility study is primarily aimed at investors in Zinwald Lithium. The price of their shares has long been at a very low level. The project has not been designated as strategically important by the European Union," Weber reminds DW and concludes:
"The goal of this gathering was to appease the people who live here, to dissuade them from resisting the project."
The Zinwald project has not been declared strategically important by the EU under the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The aim of the law is to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials such as lithium to EU industry.
Ulig: "Demand will be decisive"
Ulig confirmed to DW that the company has since received clarification from Brussels about why they are not on the list of strategically important projects: "We are not recognized as a strategically important project because they believe that this is still a relatively young project that needs to be further developed in order to receive a permit. Nevertheless, we know that demand is growing and that is why we are working on developing the project."
The European Union's decision will in no way affect the implementation of the Zinwald project, Ulig claims, noting that a complete calculation of lithium exploitation in that small town was made before the adoption of the CRMA. "Demand will be decisive," he says. And, as some projections show, it could increase many times over by 2030.
The lithium mining project on the border with the Czech Republic is therefore of strategic importance for Germany. The federal government in Berlin and the state of Saxony are supporting the project with state subsidies. Lithium is one of the key raw materials used to produce batteries for electric cars and smartphones.
Ulig estimated the total cost of the project until production starts at one billion euros. In the first phase, Zinwald Lithium wants to produce up to 18.000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year at its zinnwaldite ore processing plant in Libenau. This would be enough for around 800.000 average-sized batteries.
The second phase mentions a quantity of 35.000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year, which would mean extracting about three million tons of ore from the bowels of the Earth.
There are still many unknowns about the project.
Elke Helbig from the Berenstein Citizens' Initiative tells DW that there are still many unknowns surrounding the Zinwald project. "For example, it is not at all clear where the water needed for the project, from mining to ore processing, is supposed to come from."
The activist from Berenstein believes that the mine, if it ever gets going, will have a huge impact on the lives of people in southern Saxony: "We are fighting to raise awareness throughout the region about what it will mean for the entire municipality of Altenberg if 3,2 million tons of ore are mined here annually. We believe that this project is over-sized and that is why we are critical of it."
The Citizens' Initiative Berenstein fears that the mine could end up being much larger than originally planned. Five years ago, there was talk of mining around half a million tons of ore annually. That amount first increased to one and a half million tons, and now three million tons per year are being mentioned – with catastrophic consequences for the environment, according to activists.
The planned lithium mining project in Zinwald has now brought together four civic initiatives operating in the area. They are coordinating their actions together and, as Jens Weber of the Green League tells DW, are also connecting with like-minded people from other European countries:
"We have already started connecting with people from other regions in Europe affected by mining – Serbia, Romania, Portugal. We started this before the EU decision on strategically important projects around critical raw materials. Only together are we strong and together will we succeed in limiting the plunder of resources."
Dialogue with citizens "extremely important"
The discussion with the citizens lasted almost two hours. Marko Ulig patiently answered every question. There was a lot of emotion, and at times even raised tones. After the meeting, he told DW that Zinwald Lithium wants to implement this project with the citizens, not against them. That is why such meetings are "extremely important" for him, says the company's director:
"Citizens have a lot of questions. Of course, there is also a lot of uncertainty about what this project and mining means for the region. This is a process in which we have to be in dialogue with citizens. And we have to accept that there is frustration among people because we cannot answer all the questions. But we have to face these questions and that is the only right way, in my opinion."
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