Portugal: Protest for Life, Against Savannah Lithium Mine in Barroso

Rivers of tears at the prospect of bulldozing and dynamiting an ecologically balanced landscape in a mural at the protest encampment in the parish of Covas do Barroso, Boticas Municipality, in 2023

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The fifth consecutive encampment against Savannah Lithium's mine at Barroso this weekend is attracting hundreds to its street parade, testimonies and performances in Covas do Barroso, Boticas, Vila Real District, reported Jornal de Notícias (July 7).

"The camp is very important for us and for our struggle because it shows that we are not alone, that there are people in every corner of the country who also think that what is happening to us is an injustice," said Nelson Gomes, president of Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB), according to Observador (August 8).

During the eight years of opposition to Savannah Lithium, the local coalition in Vila Real District has broadened from the United in Defense of Covas do Barroso (UDCB) and Montalegre com Vida. In March 2023, a United Nations envoy opposed the mine in the region classified as a World Agricultural Heritage by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and agreed that Barroso should not become "a sacrifice zone".

The organizers of the third encampment in 2023 said:

“The government has approved the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), despite recognizing significant negative impacts on the population, on the biodiversity of these mountains, and on the quality of the water. It did so by imposing a narrative about the inevitability of lithium extraction.

“This narrative – which paints mining green and presents it as the only solution to decarbonization – is a fallacy. In reality, what the European Union and the national governments want to do – first, in Barroso, and later in many other territories – is to ensure a decarbonization process which does not jeopardize infinite economic growth. The promise of profit for some, and of less carbon-emitting cities, hides the sacrifice of entire territories and the continued violence associated with mobility policies based on individual cars.

“Those who want the project to go forward try to convince us that the government’s decision marks the end of a struggle. But we know that the war starts now.”

The Savannah Lithium mine is one of the European Commission's fast-tracked strategic projects to boost domestic strategic raw materials capabilities: 47 projects of which four are in Portugal -- three for lithium and one for copper -- all of which will benefit from "simplified licensing provisions", according to the EC (March 25).

The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) issued a favorable opinion on the Environmental Impact Assessment on May 30, 2023, for the proposed open-pit Barroso mine expansion from 542 to 593 hectares.

On its website, the mining company said that "responsibly developing and operating the Barroso Lithium Project will establish Savannah, and Portugal, as an integral part of Europe's rapidly growing lithium battery value chain, which is being established to support Europe's energy transition as it moves towards its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The Project will produce enough lithium each year for approximately 0.5 million electric vehicle battery packs."

In February, Savannah Lithium said that it would resume work after a precautionary injunction filed by some landowners stopped work for two weeks but was superseded by the State, reported Jornal de Notícias (February 21). The company expects to begin production in 2027.

According to Savannah, the State considers "that any postponement of the execution of the administrative act contested in court is more onerous and seriously detrimental to the public interest".

Savannah Lithium is a subsidiary of Savannah Resources, which is listed on the Alternate Investment Market (AIM) in the London Stock Exchange’s international market for smaller firms, reported Mining (May 13, 2021).

The majority of the world’s lithium is mined in Australia and South America, and more than 97 percent of it is refined in China, reported Inside Climate News (November 7, 2021).

The increased demand for electric cars has propelled lithium into the category of “white gold” as mining companies compete for extraction contracts around the world. The light metal also is used in batteries for phones and laptops.

I live in the foothills of the Serra da Estrela which, until February 2022, also had been considered for lithium exploration. I oppose lithium mining in Portugal.