Horizon Europe EXCEED

My new podcast for the 4th EnerGreenDeal conference in Brussels next week. For this episode Ignacio Guibert Suárez sat down with me to discuss the state of the EU's #cleantech & #battery industry; the problematic shift to a post-truth world; Rio Tinto's #lithium #Jadar project in #Serbia; the difference between constructive #environmentalism and ideological anti-mining "degrowthism"; the delay in announcing the Strategic Projects of the CRMA; the silo approach in the EU supply chain; and our upcoming #lithium documentaries with STORYRUNNER... Trying to connect the dots. Ignacio Guibert Suarez: 🗨️ "Between first-hand experience and [Liverpool FC] football references, this discussion offers excellent insight into Europe's Critical Raw Material landscape." 🎙️ Podcast is available on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eS8uvW8i European EnerGreenDeal Conference "Peter Tom Jones will also speak at the EnerGreenDeal Conference on December 12th, sharing his knowledge in the session "Battery manufacturing and #criticalrawmaterials: overcoming the challenges of building new industrial value chains." This session features: 👉 Hildegard Bentele [MEP, Member of the ITRE committee, European Parliament 👉 Peter Tom Jones [Director KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, SIM2 KU Leuven] 👉 Chad Blewitt [Managing Director of the Jadar lithium and boron project, Rio Tinto] 👉 Alison Atkinson [Projects and Development Director, Anglo American] Want to know more? Follow the progress on the two new documentaries in the making or watch our previous work: 🎬 Not In My Country: Serbia's lithium dilemma [avant-première in Ljubljana; https://lnkd.in/gd2aPDNB] 🎬 Europe's lithium paradox. The making of... 👉 Our Serbian Jadar Li adventure: https://lnkd.in/dQsH2uPm [Separate documentary "Not in my country" 👉 Can we refine & #recycle lithium in Europe? (Metso): https://lnkd.in/es_QYm5P 👉 Our Mina do Barroso filming adventure: https://lnkd.in/e6abxCht 👉 Demand-side management & constructive environmentalism: T&E's view: https://lnkd.in/e8bMVDqH 👉 Umicore's unique pyrometallurgical #batteryrecycling process: forthcoming 🎬 Made in Europe: from mine to electric vehicle: https://lnkd.in/eE9k9smN 🙏 EIT RawMaterials, PROMETIA, BATTERY 2030+, International Lithium Association (ILiA) CIRAN (CrItical RAw materials extraction in enviroNmentally protected areas) Eurometaux (European Metals Association) Euromines IMA-Europe (Industrial Minerals Association - Europe) IRTC | International Round Table on Materials Criticality T&E IRMA Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance LISTEN TO THE SPOTIFY PODCAST HERE: https://lnkd.in/eS8uvW8i

“Extraire ou ne pas extraire des metaux, telle est la question". In Shakespearian English: “To mine to not to mine metals, that is the question”. Here is my keynote presentation at the 10 Years PROMETIA event in the auditorium of BRGM, Orleans. In front of an audience of 80 researchers and industry affiliates, and blessed with so many fresh insights following my enriching conversations with key spokespersons of First Nations and indigenous people in Quebec-Canada, I provided my view on how #metal #mining can come to fruition in the complex world we are living in. 📣 My presentation addressed the question above in two ways: the traditional science-based way and the not-so-rational approach, as we live in a post-Western, post-truth society where the traditional science-based approach no longer suffices. Disinformation is around us. Mining projects are not assessed merely on rational grounds; in contrast, emotions take centre stage. This is also where disinformation and "manufacturing of fear" play a central role. I used the Rio Tinto lithium project in Serbia as a case-study. Going forward I discussed three major tasks: 👍 Build up trust – pro-actively develop and nurture relationships with local communities (from day 1) 👍 Keep raising the #ESG-bar in view of a community-centric, benefit-sharing “responsible mining” model. Here is a key role for the Prometia community to keep pushing the boundaries, towards #climateneutral operations, #ZLD processes, #waterrecycling, #circularhydrometallurgy (reagent recovery)... 👍Integrate independent third-party audits and transparent disclosure (IRMA Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance is boss!) Today’s other speakers: 👉 10th anniversary testimony from the 1st President Christophe Poinssot and 2nd President Andrzej Chmielarz 👉A research agenda for the metallurgical community by Patrick d'Hugues 👉 Insights into European projects on Li production by Tanja P. (Rio Tinto), Grégoire Jean (Imerys), Christophe Petit (Sibanye-Stillwater) and Romain Millot (Lithium de France). About “being responsible and competitive”, while not ignoring any elephants in the room or even transforming them in a mouse. 👉 Pitch from Canadian Companies with Jacques-Henri Gagnon from the Embassy of Canada in France, Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada, and CanmetMINING Representatives 🎬 The Making of "Europe’s Lithium Paradox" (due 2025). 👉 Our Serbian Jadar Li adventure: https://lnkd.in/dQsH2uPm [Separate documentary "Not in my country" (due 2025 – avant-première in Ljubljana: https://lnkd.in/gd2aPDNB] 👉 Can we refine & recycle lithium in Europe? (Metso): https://lnkd.in/es_QYm5P 👉 Our Mina do Barroso filming adventure: https://lnkd.in/e6abxCht 👉 Demand-side management & constructive environmentalism: T&E's view: https://lnkd.in/e8bMVDqH Stéphane Bourg Jocelyn Douheret

🎞️ AVANT-PREMIERE “Not in my country: Serbia’s lithium dilemma” - Ljubljana, 19 February - #IRTC25. Watch and discuss the screening of the new documentary film “Not in my country” on February 19, 2025 at #IRTC25 in Ljubljana. A new STORYRUNNER/SIM2 KU Leuven documentary about Serbia’s lithium dilemma, where Peter Tom Jones engages with a multitude of voices from the #Jadar Valley, Belgrade, and Brussels. 🔎 Many questions In "Not in My Country: Serbia’s Lithium Dilemma” Dr. Peter Tom Jones, Director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals (SIM2 KU Leuven), seeks to understand how unlikely allies such as pro-Russian, conservative Serbian nationalists; local farmers; urban environmentalists; and pro-European, pro-democracy Serbs can unite against the Jadar #lithium project. Jones explores pressing questions: Can Rio Tinto be trusted to uphold the strictest #ESG-standards? Is #Serbia merely an EU mining colony, sacrificing its environment so wealthy Europeans can drive oversized #electricvehicles? Or is the Serbian population the target of a Russian-led disinformation and hybrid warfare campaign designed to “manufacture fear” and hinder Serbia’s EU aspirations? This is a story of intimidation, confusion, and distrust, where facts struggle against alleged fake news, conspiracy theories, and deep-seated historical emotions. Brace yourself! 👉 How to join the avant-première? https://lnkd.in/eAsfkENd https://lnkd.in/ebzbmHMW 🎬 Featuring Ne Damo Jadar and other local citizens in the Jadar valley; University of Belgrade’s Jelena Vasiljevic; Rio Tinto chief executives & experts (Marijanti Babic, Chad Blewitt, Sinead Kaufman), ElevenEs’s CEO Nemanja Mikac, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, T&E's Julia Poliscanova (she/her); anonymous Serbian political experts. Funding: SIM2 KU Leuven & KU Leuven 🎬 Film crew: Director: Stijn van Baarle (Storyrunner), Presenter: Peter Tom Jones (SIM2 KU Leuven), Cameramen: Michael Van De Velde & Jochen Maes; Sound technicians: Casimir De Kimpe, Jeroen De Vriese; Editor: Jasper Vander Elst: 🎬 Q&A: Journalists can contact Peter Tom Jones about the background and future plans for this documentary. 🎬 EIT RawMaterials, PROMETIA, BATTERY 2030+, International Lithium Association (ILiA) CIRAN (CrItical RAw materials extraction in enviroNmentally protected areas) Eurometaux (European Metals Association) Euromines IMA-Europe (Industrial Minerals Association - Europe) European Environment Agency European Environmental Bureau IRTC | International Round Table on Materials Criticality Marko Komac Vitor Correia Robert Pell Bernd Schäfer Vanessa Lorenz Ann Mettler Jocelyn Douheret Patrick d'Hugues Stéphane Bourg Grégoire Jean Antonio Neves Costa Zoran Jovanovic Vic Petrovich Bianca Schichtel-Seberkste Anton Gavrilov Michael Schmidt

#Partners in Horizon Europe EXCEED

#seamlesscollaboration #EUProjects

Thanks Diego Arteaga for disseminating Horizon Europe EXCEED work at the #CriticalMinerals24 conference in Cape Town.

🌍 Join us for an engaging discussion on Responsible Mining at EU Raw Materials Week! 🌱 We are pleased to invite you to our side event: "Responsible Mines for a Responsible Market – Possibilities and Challenges." 📢 Hear from Anglo American, WindEurope,Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, and #IRMA as they delve into: - What responsible sourcing means for different sectors. - How it can be achieved at all stages, including exploration. 📅 When: Tuesday, 10th December | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM 📍 Where: Thon Hotel Brussels City Center 🔗 Secure your spot (in-person attendance only): https://lnkd.in/gvpdEK9a

📢 #Battery enthusiasts, mark your calendars for 🗓️ 12 December 2024 and join us for the 3rd edition of the annual workshop of the Cluster Hub "Production of #rawmaterials for #batteries from European resources" - where Horizon Europe EXCEED is a proud member of. The event is co-organised by #Eufunded projects CICERO Project, RHINOCEROS EU Project, CRM-geothermal. The event will take place in a #hybrid format: 📍Brussels 🔗 Registration for on site participation: https://lnkd.in/deDVSJHA. Seats are limited and assigned on a first come first served basis. 💻 Online participation with unlimited 'seats': https://lnkd.in/dHWVT7Yb  Whether you are a representative of industry, cross-sector activities, the research community, or a policy-maker, this event will provide a good overview of the EU #researchandinnovation environment in the battery sector. The technical sessions will be complemented by presentations and discussions around the European policy context, delivered by representatives of HaDeA and BEPA.  https://lnkd.in/ereu3bhN

Brace yourself for 🎞️ “Not in my country: Serbia’s lithium dilemma”, a new STORYRUNNER & SIM2 KU Leuven documentary that will go in avant-première early 2025. 🎬 Synopsis: In 2004, the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto made a remarkable discovery in the fertile #Jadar Valley of Western Serbia: a unique #lithium-boron-silicate mineral named “#jadarite”. Dubbed “Serbian kryptonite”, this potent mineral was hailed as a source of immense wealth for the Serbian people, promising to propel the Republic into a #cleantech-based, future-proof, #climate-neutral economy. At that time Rio Tinto was still welcomed with open arms. Fast forward to 2020: Rio Tinto’s land acquisition programme began to divide the local villagers, sparking the birth of a local agricultural opposition movement. This quickly evolved into a diverse national movement: Not In My Country! By 2022, mass demonstrations had grown so powerful that they forced the Serbian government to withdraw Rio Tinto’s permits, only for the decision to be reversed two years later by Serbia’s Constitutional Court. This abrupt U-turn led to a new wave of protests in Belgrade in July 2024, splitting the nation into two camps: those in favour and those against. In "Not in My Country: Serbia’s Lithium Dilemma” Dr. Peter Tom Jones, Director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals & Minerals, seeks to understand how unlikely allies such as pro-Russian, conservative Serbian nationalists; local farmers; urban environmentalists; and pro-European, pro-democracy Serbs can unite against the Jadar project. Jones explores pressing questions: Can Rio Tinto be trusted to uphold the strictest #ESG-standards? Is Serbia merely an EU mining colony, sacrificing its environment so wealthy Europeans can drive oversized #electricvehicles? Or is the Serbian population the target of a Russian-led disinformation and hybrid warfare campaign designed to “manufacture fear” and hinder Serbia’s EU aspirations? Looking ahead, can Serbia, despite its internal political contradictions, seize this “once in a lifetime opportunity” to establish a mine-to-electric-vehicle supply chain entirely within its borders? Delve into Serbia’s lithium dilemma in this thought-provoking documentary, where Dr. Peter Tom Jones engages with a multitude of voices from the Jadar Valley, Belgrade and Brussels. This is a story of intimidation, confusion, and distrust, where facts struggle against alleged fake news, conspiracy theories, and deep-seated historical emotions. Brace yourself! 🎬 Featuring Ne Damo Jadar and other local citizens in the Jadar valley; University of Belgrade’s Jelena Vasiljevic; Rio Tinto chief executives & experts (Marijanti Babic, Chad Blewitt, Sinead Kaufmann), ElevenEs’s CEO Nemanja Mikac, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, T&E's Julia Poliscanova (she/her); anonymous Serbian political experts. 🎬 Funding: SIM2 KU Leuven & KU Leuven (full credits in comment section)

“In the heart of Europe, a vast lithium mine is crystallizing tensions between Moscow and Brussels.” A new article (in French) about Rio Tinto's #lithium Jadar project in Serbia, to which I made a minor contribution. See GEO.fr: https://lnkd.in/eatNBRzH 🎬 NOT IN MY COUNTRY! Note that the SIM2 KU Leuven team and STORYRUNNER are currently finalising a brand new 50-minute documentary on this topic, entitled "Not in my country! Serbia's lithium dilemma", featuring various stakeholders in this highly complicated and multilayered story. More details about the launching of this film will follow soon. Here below you can find the original post about the filming we did in Loznica and Belgrade. 👉 Part I: Our Serbian #Jadar lithium adventure: https://lnkd.in/dQsH2uPm 👉 Featuring Ne Damo Jadar, many local citizens in Loznica & closeby villages, Rio Tinto (incl. Sinead Kaufman), ElevenEs (Nemanja Mikac), University of Belgrade, Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy, T&E (Julia Poliscanova (she/her)), SIM2 KU Leuven and many more... 🔦 Read also my interview in S&P Global (Euan Sadden) about this topic: https://lnkd.in/e8Da-sPJ https://lnkd.in/eBRSrqXA 🎬 "Made in Europe: from mine to electric vehicle” (2024): https://lnkd.in/eE9k9smN (Journeyman Pictures - Stijn van Baarle - Peter Tom Jones) International Lithium Association (ILiA) PROMETIA BATTERY 2030+ BRGM KU Leuven Maroš Šefčovič Madalina Ivanica Milan Grohol Peter Handley Michael Schmidt Roland Chavasse Ann Mettler Joe Lowry Hildegard Bentele Bernd Schäfer #lithium #lithiumcarbonate #batteries #climateneutrality #cleantech