JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed nickel development company Horizonte Minerals is moving closer to obtaining an installation licence for its 100%-owned Araguaia project, on the eastern margin of the State of Pará, in north-eastern Brazil.

The award of the licence, together with mining concessions, will allow for construction of the project.

The miner on Monday said it now had an expanded sustainability team, with experts from a range of fields, including specialists sourced from within the Pará state, for fauna and flora campaigns, in place, with flora studies and programmes being prioritised in a 25-day field work programme.

The flora team will also conduct the inventory for flora suppression required to start mine and plant construction. New fauna inventories are expected to start in June or July.

Further, discussions held with Para's Federal University will look at options for the uses of slag product from Araguaia, while socioeconomic activities are also progressing positively, with ongoing engagement with the local community and with social, economic and resettlement specialists having visited the site.

Horizonte further highlighted that catchment scale hydrology and hydrogeology models were being produced, focused on managing water requirements in the most sustainable way possible.

"Horizonte is taking the appropriate steps to ensure it builds a resilient long-term nickel business and that it plays a positive wider role in the Araguaia region.

“By drawing on the experience and talent of our team, we are implementing quality procedures during this development stage of the project to provide a strong operational platform as we move towards the construction stage. The community continues to demonstrate a strong interest in the project's progress, which is perceived as a key social and economic driver in a region where the average wage is low,” CEO Jeremy Martin said.

The company is focused on delivering a 14 500 t/y nickel operation with an expected mine life of 28 years. The sustainability programme aims to lay the foundations for a robust, long-term nickel mine.

Specifically, the team aims to integrate the Vale dos Sonhos deposit into the advanced permitting schedule, obtain the installation licence and progress all other permits or licences that are needed before construction can start.