Reconfirmation of Strategic Project Status

In brief · summary, not quotable

Savannah Resources Plc has had the Barroso Lithium Project in Portugal reconfirmed as a 'Strategic Project' by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act, following a review requested by various groups. The Commission's assessment found the project's technical data robust and rejected claims that it would violate the Water Framework Directive, noting that implemented mitigation measures significantly reduced water resource risks. This reconfirmation solidifies the project's importance for Europe's re-industrialisation, decarbonisation efforts, and energy independence, and is expected to drive regional economic growth.

Full announcement

Select text to share a quote on X · sign in to keep highlights & notes in your SAV notes

Savannah Resources Plc, the developer of the Barroso Lithium Project in Portugal, a 'Strategic Project' under the European Critical Raw Materials Act and Europe's largest spodumene lithium deposit (the 'Project'), is pleased to announce that the European Commission has reconfirmed the Project as 'Strategic' for the European Union under the Critical Raw Materials Act.

The reconfirmation follows a request by various groups that the European Commission conduct an internal review into the Commission Decision's in March 2025 to recognise the Barroso Lithium Project as a Strategic Project under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

In its response, the European Commission re-examined the Project´s technical data, confirming the robustness of the information shared and firmly rejecting the removal of the Project from the list of Strategic Projects, making it clear that the complaint was unfounded. One of the areas assessed by the European Commission was the impact of the Project on the region's water resources. The conclusions published make clear the Commission's view:

"Experts evaluated the measures that have been implemented to monitor, prevent and minimise environmental impacts. Thus, not only monitoring measures but also mitigation measures were imposed to ensure that the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) are not violated by the contested project. (…) They also observed that the various changes made to the initial project to minimise and monitor the effects on surface and groundwater (…) demonstrate that the risks related to the availability of water resources have been significantly reduced. The applicants do not present clear arguments showing that the above-mentioned measures are insufficient."[1]

This decision therefore reaffirms the Project as one of Europe's Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act. The Project will play a fundamental role in Europe's re-industrialisation, in the decarbonisation of transport within the European Union, and in tackling the external energy dependency that Europe currently faces. It will also attract population to the region surrounding the Project while contributing to its economic growth.