Savannah Resources (AIM: SAV), the company trying to build western Europe鈥檚 largest lithium mine in Portugal, it had found a way to significantly cut the project鈥檚 direct emissions (or Scope 1) to zero.
The company said it had confirmed that using battery electric mining equipment would be the most effective way to eliminate its flagship Barroso lithium project鈥檚 emissions.
It also said the project鈥檚 indirect emissions (or Scope 2), which are those tied to inputs a miner purchases, like electricity, could be lowered by 54% from the original 2019 forecast, thanks to a potential reduction in the plant鈥檚 power requirement.
Despite earning a preliminary stamp of approval聽in April 2021 from authorities, the country鈥檚 Ag锚ncia Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) asked the company to resubmit last year its its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed mine.
The consequent delay triggered the聽departure of chief executive David Archer, who was replaced on an interim basis by Dale Ferguson, previously the company鈥檚 technical director.
The updated strategy disclosed on Monday was created following the completion of the initial study phase by ECOPROGRESSO, a Portuguese environmental, sustainability, and climate change consultant.聽
Such research aimed to update the project鈥檚 greenhouse gas inventory, reduce emissions, and create a preliminary decarbonization strategy.
Looking ahead,聽the lithium company said future work would include more detailed analysis as part of the definitive feasibility study on the project, as well as studies to determine a site specific solution for a transition to a battery operated mining fleet and associated charging infrastructure.
Europe鈥檚 first
Savannah Resources had hoped to secure聽EIA approval for the project last year, as Barroso is poised to help Europe reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and speed up its 鈥済reen transition.鈥�
The company acquired a 75% interest in the lithium project in May 2017, maintaining a聽听蝉颈苍肠别.听聽in Portugal, chairman Matthew King聽recently said, impacted the timing of the assessment as meetings with government officials were postponed.
The Barroso project聽holds a resource estimate of 27 million tonnes of lithium with over 285,900 tonnes contained Li2O, at an average grade of 1.06% Li2O, which the company believes to be enough to supply a 鈥渕aterial proportion鈥� of聽Europe鈥檚 lithium demand聽over the coming decades.
The mine will also yield a feldspar and quartz co-product used in the ceramics industry, which will be sold to customers locally and in neighbouring Spain.
Portugal, already Europe鈥檚 top lithium producer, accounts for about 11% of the global market, but its output is entirely used to make ceramics and glassware, which is why Europe relies on lithium imports from Latin America鈥檚聽, as well from Australia and China.