Lithium reserves near Cínovec designated a deposit of strategic importance by Czech government

Lithium reserves in the Cínovec area in the Teplice region and Horní Slavkov in the Sokolov region have been designated deposits of strategic importance. The government made the decision today, saying the site contains lithium of a quality suitable for use in batteries for electric vehicles and other devices, for example. The measure aims to facilitate any future extraction of the raw material and prevent potential supply disruptions. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) said.

„By mining lithium in our country and making the planned investments in Czechia, we can build an entire supply chain for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. These steps will boost our competitiveness, stimulate the economy and create new jobs. At the same time, we will reduce our reliance on imports from third countries, particularly China and South America,“ said Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček (STAN).

„Designating lithium reserves as deposits of strategic importance will enable the state to actively influence the development of mining and ensure that lithium is used in line with the country’s long-term economic and environmental objectives,“ said Eduard Muřický, director general of the Ministry’s Economic Affairs Section.

The measure is also intended, among other things, to limit speculative investment.

Any future extraction of the raw material would bring more than 3.15 billion crowns a year into public budgets, according to the ministry. This would consist mainly of payments for extracted minerals, fees for mining areas, other levies and taxes. Around 2.3 billion crowns a year would go to the state budget, with the remainder shared by regions and municipalities.

This was another such proposal from the ministry in a short period. In January this year, the government designated manganese reserves near Chvaletice in the Pardubice region as a deposit of strategic importance.

Lithium mining is being prepared by Geomet, which is majority-owned by Severočeské doly, a member of the ČEZ Group. It plans to extract lithium-bearing ore using underground mining at a mine in Cínovec in the Ore Mountains. Mining is expected to begin between 2026 and 2028. ČEZ is updating its feasibility study in view of the potential industrial use of lithium.

Lithium is considered a metal of the future, and estimates suggest that around three percent of the world’s reserves are in Czechia—most of them at Cínovec and a small amount in the Slavkov Forest. The deposit near Cínovec is the largest in Europe. The possibility of mining lithium in Czechia became one of the topics debated ahead of the 2017 parliamentary election.