CASE STUDY:

Cáceres, Spain 

From Yes to life No to Mining global network ‘On the Frontlines of Lithium Extraction’

The mountain that borders the city of Cáceres “La Sierra de la Mosca” is an Appalachian geological site, a Mediterranean biodiversity area, that keeps our city and our 95.000 people community healthy. There are many possibilities for economic activities with respect to our environment. Our country is very dry, and this Mountain and the karstik system underfoot made possible the inhabitance here since our Neanderthal ancestors. 

The actors of the raw material demands find this mountain definitely rich in lithium and other raw materials, and that’s why many companies struggle around since 2017, doing their best to ignore our local culture, needs, and environmental relation:

• Valdeflores Project – Phase: extraction permits denied in 2021/4. Waiting for the restoration of the explored area. Company: Australian Infinity Lithium Corporation and the Spanish SACYR Company.
• Ampliación a Valdeflores Project – Phase: Exploring permits were accepted. Collective demands were lodged. Still waiting for responses. Company: australian Infinity Lithium Corporation holding a 75% interest in the Joint Venture Tecnología Extremeña Del Lito S.L. (‘TEL’).

There are many companies interested in the area of Valdeflores, that are waiting for Infinity Lithium to retreat: 

• Romolus Project – Phase: exploration permits solicited. Company: german AMG Lithium GmbH.  
• Ampliación a Romolus – Phase: exploration permits solicited.  Company: german AMG Lithium GmbH.  
• San José project – Phase: exploration permits solicited. Company: spanish Valoriza Minería S. L. (filial from spanish SACYR Company). 
• Extremadura S. D. project – Phase: exploration permits solicited. Company: Spanish Castilla Mining S. L. 

Projects in other areas of our mountain La Sierra de la Mosca, less than 5kms. to the city Cáceres, with needed minerals to obtain lithium carbonate:

• • Trasquilón Project – Phase: exploring permits been evaluated. Collective demands were lodge. Still waiting for responses. Standby. Company: Spanish Grabat Energy.

Since 2017 when began the administrative procedure for the Valdeflores project and Ampliación a Valdeflores project, the enterprise has said about this area to be the biggest lithium extractive potential in Europe, the third in the world, as they say about every new project they want to promote. For several times they announced many important amounts of investment and even the possible construction of a lithium refining industry. 

Valdeflores project didn’t reach the extractive phase, due to the four years long social opposition, which has been pressed as necessary from local to European politicians and institutions to oppose the project. Valdeflores project is unrealizable and illegal because of its proximity to our city (less than 2kms.), and the only option for the regional government has been to cancel the permits, causing the actual crash of the Australian Infinity Lithium Corporation in the ASX. 

They are still expected to restore the damages caused by their illegal exploration works, with a court sentence beyond them. In response, the enterprise is going forward to demand the regional government. 

For the Ampliación de Valdeflores project, they got the exploration permits with many restrictions in 2020/11. It seems not that interesting for them in terms of lithium extractivism, because the open-pit area is in Valdeflores project, but they can look for carbonate and others. 

For us, our land won’t be safe until all the demands are resolved, and our Mountain obtains official protection that ensures us it will be free of mining threats for future generations.