Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019

Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar

Adding value in Serbia:

From mining to mineral processing

Rio Tinto Serbia

Highlights
Innovating to develop new resources

Smart mining and mineral processing

as a basis for sustainable development
Rio Tinto strongly believes in a low-carbon future and
that we can responsibly contribute to it. The metals and
minerals we mine and process, such as copper and
aluminum, are essential to tackling climate change and
delivering a low-carbon society we all strive for. Lithium
Marnie Finlayson
and Jadar project are key part of this vision.
General Manager
Rio Sava Exploration doo
For the Jadar project, Rio Tinto has leveraged technical
expertise from across our global footprint to develop an
integrated mineral processing technology for our Serbian
unique mineral, Jadarite. A global team comprising our
project staff in Serbia, our Boron operations in California,
our processing centre of excellence in Montreal, and our
mining and tailings centres of excellence in Australia,
have worked tirelessly to develop this innovative mineral
processing technology. We plan to produce three valuable
industrial products in Serbia - lithium carbonate, boric acid,
and sodium sulfate.
Once developed, Jadar will be the largest industrial
greenfield project built in Serbia in decades. A new
mineral, a new process technology and a new market all
require careful considerations in order for Jadar to
become a long-life, sustainable operation.
All our efforts continue to focus on delivering the Jadar
project in a safe and sustainable manner both for the
community and our company.
 Rio Tinto
Jadar Project Serbia
Technology and innovation
An innovative processing technology
for the Jadar project
It all started with Rio Tinto Serbian and American geologists
hitting the undiscovered orebody, which has proven to contain
borates and lithium, nearby Loznica in Serbia with the first drill
hole in 2004. Since then, we have drilled and tested over 180
km of core equalling two times the air distance from Belgrade
to the Jadar site area. In March 2017, Rio Tinto upgraded the
Jadar mineral resources to 136 million tonnes in line with
international JORC standards.
Our plan is to process the Jadarite ore and produce lithium
carbonate, boric acid, and sodium sulfate – our final products
– in an industrial facility collocated to the Jadar mine. A new,
innovative processing technology is being successfully tested at
Rio Tinto’s research centre in Melbourne, Australia, using a pilot
plant. We have been supplying feed for this plant with drilled
core samples from the Jadar ore body. We wish to relocate this
plant to Serbia for further process development and to train our
young and talented Serbian processing and chemical engineers.
An international team of technical experts,
chemical and processing engineers has
worked on the development of this new
technology over several years.
NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019 Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019
riotinto.com/jadar Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar
The small-scale Bundoora integrated continuous pilot plant,
BICCPP, was assembled in a joint effort of Australian, American
and Serbian professionals from Rio Tinto and our global
partners, leading processing experts. Around 2,000 chemical
tests were run and about 5.000 pieces of industrial equipment
were tested before we were able to declare this processing
technology is technically viable. The new processing flow
chart is now pending international patent protection (pages
4-5).
All tests have been conducted in accordance with the highest
safety standards during all three 24/7 chemical testing
campaigns, which also helped us develop important safety
operating protocols. The testing campaign has also involved
the active participation of a number of Serbian graduates from
the Jadar project who will form part of our future in country
processing and engineering team. Rio Tinto team is proud of
these achievements and of its strong team of talented
individuals, who made the Jadarite processing formula work.
Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019 Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019
Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar

Mineral processing Key statistics:

l We drilled over 180km of core

l We ran 2,000 chemical tests

Beyond mining:
l We installed 5,000 pieces of equipment in the pilot plant
BENEFICIATION PLANT 1 Beneficiation Fines
To Backfill Plant l We collaborated with 40 premium international vendors
Our operation at Jadar will go well
Creating additional beyond mining, extending into the
downstream chain to deliver added
l For each 2 tonnes of jadarite concentrate, our processing plant
will utilize 1 tonne of chemical reagents

value in Serbia Jadarite Run Of Concentrate

value for both Serbia and Rio Tinto. l The piping system in and out of the processing plant will be
approximately 225 km long
Mine Ore Crushing and Milling Classifying

At Rio Tinto, we have the expertise, technology and PROCESS PLANT BACKFILL PLANT
resources that allow us to process ore on site, close to
1 Beneficiation
our mining locations, and deliver high quality products to Fines From
our customers around the world. Classifying

Process 3 Digestion residue

Co-locating mineral processing facilities on the mine site Liquor Sulfuric Beneficiation
has proven to bring numerous benefits to communities Water
Acid Natural Gas Boric Acid Fines Filtration
and countries where we operate, from job creation to Boric Acid Filtration Boric Acid Drying 2 Beneficiation
direct and indirect economic impact, such as GDP Sulf uric Residue
Acid Aggregate
growth, local supplies development, human capital
development, and other long-term benefits.
Digestion Digestion Filtration
As shown in the accompanying flowsheet, our Chloride Removal
Process Backfill Plant Backfill To Mine
international team has developed a robust and stable Boric Acid
processing technology for our three final products – Crystallisation
lithium carbonate, boric acid and sodium sulfate. We
have been testing our new, innovative ore processing
technology at a pilot plant with an intention to develop a Enhanced Boron Centrifugation
modern underground mine with collocated on-site Removal
processing facilities.

Natural Gas
Calcium
Hydroxide 4 Liming residue Sodium Sodium Sulfate
Carbonate
Sodium Sulfate Drying

Impurity Removal
Liming Filtration Unrefined Centrifugation 2 3 4
(Liming) Beneficiation, Digestion
Lithium Sodium Sulfate and Liming Residue
Post-Liming Carbonate Crystallisation
Evaporation Crystallisation
Natural Gas

Residue Drying
Waste Trucking

Liquid streams
Lithium Centrifugation Lithium Carbonate To water Industrial waste
Carbonate Refining Natural distribution landfill
Gas Micronizing
Solids streams Process
Water management
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Gas streams Lithium Carbonate Drying facility
LANDFILL
Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019 Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019
Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar

Jadar products

Lithium carbonate
Electric vehicles
Lithium batteries
Strengthening the industrial base
At a time when the world is witnessing a new industrial revolution and is on a quest to deliver
environmentally sustainable growth, a unique mineral jadarite can now be sucessfully transformed
into a valuable product that will support the transition to a low-carbon future. Heat resistant glass
High-strength
and ceramics
This transformation is happening mainly through the raise of demand for electric vehicles and aircraft alloys
energy storage, which use lithium chemicals. In addition to lithium, jadarite contains borates,
which will also have an important role in a more energy-efficient future, given their use in wind
turbines and insulation fibreglass for buildings. Borates are also building blocks for a number of
diverse everyday products, from screens for TV sets and smartphones to detergents and fertilisers.
Boric acid
Sodium sulfate, our third product is used in textile industry and production of powdered
detergents and glass. Insulation
fiberglass Ceramic glazes

Agricultural Glass
micronutrients

Sodium sulfate

Textile industry

Glass

Powdered detergents

Jadarite
 Rio Tinto NEWSLETTER, Issue Q3/4 2019
Jadar Project Serbia riotinto.com/jadar

Lithium

Lithium battery value chain

Many lithium producers offer only limited mineral This highly sophisticated lithium value chain involves a
processing up to the point of a concentrate which is then thorough qualification stage gate process to ensure
exported internationally for further processing. ongoing product quality and safety.

As shown in the chart below, the Jadar project is planning

to continue mineral processing right up to the point of
producing a battery grade lithium carbonate which
exceeeds 99.5% purity. This final product needs to be
technically prequalified by producers of cathodes who
supply lithium battery producers and ultimately electric
vehicle manufacturers. Prequalification process usually
lasts from 12 to 18 months.

The Lithium battery value chain is

relatively new and highly
sophisticated requiring specific
technical expertise. Jadar will
produce a battery grade lithium
carbonate thereby adding value to
the final product in Serbia.

Mine to EV Market
Top Players by Segment in 2018

Mining Conversion Battery Material Battery Cell/Pack Electric Vehicle

Lithium Production by Country (t LCE) Chemical Production by Country (t LCE) All Cathode Capacity by Country (t) All Battery Capacity by Country (GWh) EV Sales by Country (units)
Australia 162.275 China 227.136 China 324.200 China 236 China 1.161.768
USA 35
Chile 77.100 Chile 85.020 Japan 168.900 USA 360.905
S Korea 21
China 46.053 Argentina 29.673 S Korea 51.200 Norway 74.584
Poland 10
Argentina 29.673 USA 16.700 Poland 38.250 Germany 72.029
Japan 10
Others 27.000 Other 2.730 USA 7.002 Others 7 Japan 53.542

This is where Jadar produces

spodumene* three products and
lithium producers over 99.5% lithium
typically stop carbonate purity

Rio Tinto Technical Battery Rio Sava Exploration d.o.o.

Ore Concentrate QUALIFICATION
Cathodes QUALIFICATION
Batteries QUALIFICATION
EV’s
Jadar Project Serbia Grade LC Grade LC PROCESS PROCESS PROCESS
Resavska 23 Street, Belgrade, Serbia
99.0% purity >99.5% purity Telephone: +381 11 4041 430
E-mail: serbia@riotinto.com

Jadar will reach 4 of the 7 steps in the lithium value chain and can