Sigma Lithium resumes operations in Brazil after court ruling
Lithium miner Sigma Lithium said on Tuesday it would resume mining and processing at its Grota do Cirilo project in Brazil after a federal appeals court upheld its environmental licences, reinforcing its target of reaching an annualized lithium oxide concentrate production rate of 330 000 tonnes by the end of 2027.
The company said the appeals court overturned an emergency order issued last month by a federal judge in Teofilo Otoni that had suspended its licences, allowing Sigma to fully resume mining and processing operations.
The legal dispute is linked to a lawsuit brought by Ngolo, an association representing local Quilombola communities. Sigma said its operations are outside a newly claimed community perimeter and that its licences were issued in accordance with applicable regulations.
Sigma said it does not need additional mining or processing capacity to meet its 2027 production target, citing available capacity at its South Pit, its existing processing plant and recycling and reprocessing circuits installed following a 2024 upgrade.
The company said its plant had previously produced more than 950 tonnes of lithium concentrate per day, exceeding 1 000 tonnes on several days after the upgrade.
Sigma, which produces lithium concentrate used in battery materials, said it plans to restart a second expansion phase in 2027 that could lift annual capacity to about 580 000 tonnes, followed by a third phase targeting 830 000 tonnes.
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