Gordon Stein, CFO of CleanTech Lithium, explains why CTL acquired the 23 Laguna Verde licenses. Watch the video here.
The processing plant will be in Prunéřov.
https://www.idnes.cz/usti/zpravy/lithium-tezba-zpracovani-ujezdecek-prunerov-cez.A240424_173841_usti-zpravy_grr
I assume this is also why DFS is delayed.
Https://www.cez.cz/webpublic/file/edee/2024/04/geomet_brozura.pdf
Https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/partie-terezie-tomankove-green-deal-dostalova-hladik.A240414_103339_domaci_mul
Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík: He added that we have the largest lithium reserves in Europe and it is necessary to mine them. "The Czech government doesn't just want to mine, it wants to produce specific products," he added.
According to Matz, the most important process will be the so-called EIA, i.e. environmental impact assessment. According to Matz, if there were any risks, the project would not receive a positive assessment. "If such a risk would be significant in terms of impact on the environment, the conditions for a positive assessment of the project and its impact on the environment and subsequent permission for mining will probably not even be met. The chosen mining and foundation technology will thus be essential, while the Geomet organization has already presented that it wants to put a significant part of the mined material back into the mined areas. The Chairman of the Regional Mining Office further stated for Deník that the opening of a new deep mine is not only in the national, but also pan-European interest, given the current enormous dependence on raw materials from safety-risk sources. "For example, China supplies the EU with more than 90 percent of the raw materials needed for industry. For us, this dominant position is a huge economic and security risk for the states. The EU is aware of the risks and at the same time perceives that the opening of new deposits of strategic raw materials is a big problem here, and is met with public resistance. For these reasons, the EU is also preparing legislative support for projects to open new deposits with the aim of reducing dependence on the import of strategic raw materials. So it will probably be a matter of measuring not only regional, national, but also European interests, precisely from the point of view of raw material self-sufficiency in the area of critical or even strategic raw materials. This important public interest has already been reflected in the mining regulations, where lithium is classified as a critical raw material," Matz told Deník.
CEZ Group
Https://mostecky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/sef-banskeho-uradu-resi-nejtezsi-otazku-od-revoluce-povoli-tezbu-lithia-20240328.html
We have been dealing with lithium in Cínovec since 2015, when we resolved the determination of the mining area, mining permits and construction permits on the tailings dump after the former mining of tin and tungsten for the organization Cínovecká deponie and supervised safety during work on exploratory wells for the organization Geomet. "In general, the authorities of the state mining administration will determine the mining area and authorize mining activities - opening, preparation and mining. It can be expected that processing of the raw material will also be part of it - at least its mechanical separation and magnetic separation,". According to him, the details of the project will become clear only when the plan is submitted for environmental impact assessment, i.e. in the EIA process. "This is a relatively extensive, technologically and economically demanding project, and we cannot therefore expect exhaustive answers to all these questions at the beginning of this year. From the point of view of our office, these will have to be evident at least during the assessment of the plan as part of the EIA process, where the affected public will also be able to comment on the plan. According to its boss, the mining office will supervise economical and safe mining and check compliance with the conditions of the decisions issued by it. In accordance with the protection of relevant interests, this supervision will be supplemented by the supervision of other state administration bodies, such as environmental inspection or hygiene. Lithium mining is a completely different process compared to coal mining, both in terms of mining technology and in terms of impacts on the territory and the environment. Unlike surface mining of coal, in the case of lithium in Cínovec, it will be realized underground with minimal effects on the surface. The most modern mining and treatment technologies can be expected, which will meet strict criteria for safety and environmental protection. According to Matz, it is logical at this moment that Geomet experts do not yet have all the information that the public wants from them. "For most mining plans, all relevant information in detail is addressed to the public only within the EIA process and subsequent proceedings. The fact that already today information is presented to the public on such a scale and in advance testifies to the significance, technical and economic demands of the entire process for its investor and its approach to the public in general.
Https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/lithium-tezba-cinovec-cesko-krusne-hory.A240315_191015_domaci_kori
Mining at Cínovec is a long-term run, so the current prices are not the key. Rather, it is necessary to think about how the price will develop in the future. It is obvious that the demand for lithium will gradually increase, but it can also be expected that it will increase and the supply of lithium on the market, so making the final calculation (whether mining will pay off, editor's note) will not be easy," the prime minister's adviser told MF DNES. This is what the company Geomet, which wants to mine lithium in Cínovec, is dealing with right now. A majority stake of 51 percent is held by Severočeské doly, which falls under the semi-state ČEZ, and the rest by the Australian mining company EMH, which conducted the first explorations at Cínovec. It will become clearer in the spring. Whether the project really makes economic sense is to be shown by a feasibility study. "We received its first version as planned at the end of last year, it is several thousand pages of technical text. Now, together with external experts, we are still working on further clarification of some points. We want to have the next version of the study in the spring of this year," ČEZ spokesperson Roman told MF DNES Landlord. If the company subsequently decided on the project, it would first have to apply for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). According to Gazdík, this could start this year. According to the original plans, lithium mining at Cínovec should have started as early as 2023. However, the project was delayed and currently, even in the case of an ideal scenario, the start of full mining would not happen before the end of 2027. "It will depend on the speed of the permitting processes. At the moment the schedule includes the construction of the plant in 2026 and 2027," added Gazdík.
To remind:
https://forbes.cz/zpomaleni-elektromobility-srazi-lithium-promluvi-do-rozhodnuti-o-tezbe/
"We have already received the first version of the feasibility study, now it is being refined, and only then can further steps follow. In parallel, we are working on the necessary permits," ČEZ spokesman Roman Gazdík told Forbes. The study has thousands of pages of text that are now being reviewed by experts.
Dear residents of Dubí, in the last edition of the Dubské zpravodaí, we reminded you of the possibility to visit the info center at the Geomet headquarters in Mstišov. We would like to inform you this time that in the info center you will find a new information brochure that deals in detail with the issue of water in Cínovec and the surrounding area in connection with the planned mining. As we mentioned earlier, it follows from our research to date that the deep mining of lithium ores will partially affect the circulation of deeper circulating groundwater, but it does not serve as a used source of water in the vicinity and does not affect its quantity. In other words, extraction should not in any way change the state of water resources used in Cínovec, in Dubí or in the surrounding area, nor will it affect existing ecosystems, for example peatlands. In order to be sure that mining will not affect the water resources used in the vicinity of the mine and that it will be possible to continue to use, for example, water from domestic wells, we have implemented a detailed hydrogeological model. We thus have a clear idea of the current and future flow of groundwater in the Ore Mountains and foothills. So far, no one has carried out modeling of water conditions in the Teplice area on such a scale. In addition, the groundwater flow model will be further refined on the basis of newly acquired knowledge from monitoring and in cooperation with experts from Germany. The preservation of used water sources is a priority for us and we want to be sure that the impact on the surroundings will be really minimal. The brochure provides detailed information about water and answers to a number of questions that arise in connection with mining. It contains a description of the deposit, our idea of the mining process and processing. With the help of graphics, we try to explain the functioning system of water in Cínovec and its surroundings, we also focus on the thermal springs in Teplice. So that the residents of the nearby area have all the necessary information.
CEZ Group
Local press
A word from the mayor
A lithium mining and processing working group met in February. I would like to mention several outputs from this meeting. First, the feasibility study should be completed during the spring. Secondly, information brochures from the company Geomet will be distributed to the residents of the Cínovec district, which will answer some important aspects of mining with regard to the concerns of local residents. Furthermore, two other processing and transport alternatives were addressed. In the first case, there would be a larger takeover of land in front of the tunnel portal and tertiary processing would also occur here. From there, the material would travel to the Dub railway station and continue on the Moldavska Horske Railway for further processing. In the second case, the mining plant itself would remain in its original scope, and from there the ropeway would go over the forest floor via Újezdeček to track No. 130 Ústí nad Labem – Chomutov, where the material would be loaded onto trains and traveled to Prunéřov for processing, where it would be processing plant and a gigafactory for the production of lithium batteries is also planned here. We have to wait until spring for more information. We also met at a regular meeting with representatives of the Forests of the Czech Republic - Litvínov forest administration to discuss the process of land exchange in the nature reserve, post-mining cleaning in the spa forest park, development of tourist infrastructure, Ore Mountains PLA and lithium mining.
FY 2023 Financial Results will be published on March 21st, 2024, at 7:00 AM (local time)
https://www.cez.cz/webpublic/file/edee/ospol/fileexport/investors/cez-conference-call-4q23_invitation.pdf
The ČEZ Group generates more than 7% of the GDP of the entire Ústí Region and is one of the most important investors. On
in taxes and levies, the ČEZ Group provided the Ústí Region with a total of almost 13 billion crowns from 2006 to 2022.
The Ústí Region is also one of the key ones within the aid of the ČEZ Foundation, since 2002 it has donated over 300 million crowns to the region. To development
ČEZ plans to invest tens of billions of crowns in its own activities beneficial to the region in the coming period. ČEZ has big plans in the region. Next to the Lithium park, he is preparing the construction of large photovoltaics
power plants, the transformation of the heating industry into low-emission sources, the development of electromobility, but also the construction of a small modular reactor.
CEZ Group
Dear residents of Dubí, as we have already informed you, at the company's headquarters
Geomet in Mstišov has opened a new info center for you, where you can learn more about the Lithium park project. Experts
will answer your questions. We would like to remind you that you all have the opportunity to visit this information center. So far, the greatest interest in the info center is from the residents of Cínovce and the settlement of Dukla in Újezdeček. "The most frequent questions are about transport or water.
For example, fishermen who are interested in whether lithium mining can affect the future of the ponds where they go to fish come here. Nothing like that
of course it won't happen, we will explain everything to them and show them that they can continue to go to their favorite ponds to fish," says geologist and guide of the Geomet info center Tomáš Vrbicky. Experts from Geomet also dispel myths here, or answer questions about noise and others
possible effects on the surroundings. "With very few exceptions, people come here who want to seriously learn something about the project and thus make their own
opinion. From what they tell us, they leave with satisfying answers and often calmer than before the visit. I am glad that we are succeeding in refuting their fears and that people are concerned about the future of their surroundings
they are interested," says Vrbicky. In the info center, the exposition is gradually expanding,
new exhibits and information materials are added. On display are samples of the rock from under Cínovce, from which lithium and other artefacts are to be mined
and information panels. The information center serves the general public from the surrounding municipalities, the region and the entire country, but it can also be visited by schools and other organizations. It is open every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
or by telephone arrangement at 606 607 172 at Školní 299, Mstišov, 417 03 Dubí.
The lithium acquisition and processing project in the Ústí Region represents one of the fundamental activities aimed at maintaining economic attractiveness
a region that, with the imminent decline of the coal industry, will need a new source of economic activity. Lithium is a strategic raw material for
It will help the Ústí Region and the Czech Republic to ensure energy security, defend the Czech Republic's position in supply chains and preserve jobs. The most important part of the regional economy is now brown coal mining and the subsequent production of electricity and heat, the lithium park project will thus build on the mining and energy tradition in the region and turn it into a center of modern energy, science and research. The Ústí Region is key for CEZ and will remain key for CEZ in the future. The ČEZ Group employs more than 6,200 people in the region. ČEZ regularly ranks first in polls for the best
and the most sought-after employers in the Czech Republic.
Https://forbes.cz/zpomaleni-elektromobility-srazi-lithium-promluvi-do-rozhodnuti-o-tezbe/
"We have already received the first version of the feasibility study, now it is being refined, and only then can further steps follow. In parallel, we are working on the necessary permits," ČEZ spokesman Roman Gazdík told Forbes. The study has thousands of pages of text that are now being reviewed by experts.
Local press 3/3
We can cite several examples. Mining infrastructure and future underground mining will be separated and isolated from used water sources. This means that, for example, access corridors that lead near surface water will be isolated from the surroundings. Waterproofing films are used for this. The same system is used, for example, in the construction of tunnels in the Alps. This will also prevent water seepage into the mine itself, which is very undesirable. In the deposit itself, so-called protective cells are left near the water sources, which is a layer of granite that we cannot excavate to serve as a barrier against the possible seepage of nearby water. This granite would remain intact even if it were the richest in lithium. The mined spaces themselves, the so-called chambers, will be filled after the extraction with a deposit, i.e. tailings from the original mining, from which we obtained lithium. This will guarantee the stability of the massif and prevent the potential filling of these chambers with water. Preventive measures also include continuous monitoring of water sources and streams, as we describe above in the text. CEZ Group
Local press 2/3
Exploratory boreholes In order to understand as much as possible the behavior of water in Cínovec and its surroundings, we are building a network of exploratory and monitoring objects, for example boreholes and measuring devices on watercourses, which will enable us to describe well the course of natural water circulation in the area and also the circulation of water in old mine parts . In this way, we also determine the properties of the rock massif that are responsible for the circulation of underground water, we monitor long-term trends in the course of precipitation in the area, we examine the absorption capacity of the landscape and long-term historical statistics. We then create mathematical models of water flow on the surface and underground from the data. In the future, the survey objects will be changed to monitoring objects and will monitor the state of the waters during mining. There are 6 historical hydrogeological wells in Cínovec, 2 pits of the Cínovec mine, and we are building 9 new wells as part of the current hydrogeological survey. Between 2020 and 2021, another 8 exploratory wells were created, and we have also started monitoring 10 domestic wells. During the spring, we will start monitoring the streams of Bystřice, Liščí potok, Hraniční potok, an unnamed tributary to Bystřice and Panské potok. We are also preparing a joint cross-border monitoring system. Exploratory drilling and water in wells You may have heard about a partial water leak from two wells north of Husova vrch. We looked into the situation and after a detailed investigation we came to the conclusion that this leak was probably not related to the exploratory wells. The drilling of two exploratory hydrogeological wells in the village was carried out during the end of September and the beginning of October 2023. We chose the position of the wells in order to get a comprehensive picture of the state of the groundwater in the area. The drilling of new wells followed up on the results of previous experiences from pumping tests in existing wells. When we suspected a loss of water in two wells north of Husova vrch, we implemented level monitoring in cooperation with the owners and repeatedly added water to one of the wells in order to monitor its behavior. Drilling works took place at the time of the seasonal minimum water level. Today, the water levels in the wells are already at a normal level, corresponding to the season. Drill exploration was therefore most likely not the main cause of the low water level in the wells. The drilling of the second exploratory well in the Cínovce Hill area did not cause any noticeable changes in the monitored wells in the vicinity. We are preparing preventive measures Preservation of used water sources is a priority for us and we want to be sure that the impact on the surroundings will be really minimal. We have therefore compiled a list of preventive measures that we will implement anyway. We can cite sever
Dear fellow citizens, two city council meetings took place in December. One was dedicated to the issue of lithium mining and processing, and some new information was presented on the impacts on the water regime and the form of the processing plant in Újezdeček. It was expected that a feasibility study would be ready by the end of the year, which would answer some fundamental questions. Unfortunately, based on information from ČEZ, the feasibility study will not be finally completed until spring. The shift compared to the original deadline is supposed to be due to the higher time requirement of delivery and evaluation of offers from all potential suppliers and the associated correct estimation of investment and operating expenses of the project. Hopefully this document will eventually shed some light on some of the sticking points of the whole process. Your mayor Ing. Jiří Kaspar.
Dear residents of Dubí, we bring you another contribution to the regular column, which concerns the upcoming lithium park. This time we will focus on water. We will try to briefly explain the principle of its operation within the project, and thus dispel fears about its possible lack after the start of mining. We are also preparing a detailed brochure that the residents of Cínovce will receive at the beginning of the year and will also be available to other interested parties. The brochure describes in detail and thoroughly the functioning of underground and surface water in the vicinity of Cínovce. From our research to date, it appears that the deep mining of lithium ores will partially affect the circulation of deeper circulating groundwater, but it does not serve as a used source of water in the vicinity and does not affect its quantity. Mining should in no way change the state of water resources used in the village of Cínovec, Dubí and the surrounding area, nor will it affect existing ecosystems, including peatlands. The function of currently used domestic water sources will not be changed by extraction. For the needs of the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment (EIA), we commissioned a study of the hydrological and hydrogeological conditions of Cínovce and its surroundings. A hydrogeological computer model was developed, into which planned mining was also introduced. It characterizes the current and future flow of groundwater in the Ore Mountains and foothills. So far, no one has carried out modeling of water conditions in the Teplice area to such an extent. For the needs of assessing the possible impacts of the project, we are also working on a rainfall-runoff model of the territory.