Sigma Lithium, which is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and mainly mines and processes lithium in Brazil, said in a statement that it plans to invest 492.4 million reais (approximately US$99.4 million) to expand the existing Grota do Cirilo spodumene in Brazil. The project is to increase lithium concentrate production capacity by building a new lithium concentrate green production plant.
According to reports, the Grota do Cirilo spodumene project located in the Quitinonia Valley in Brazil is the largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium mine project in the Americas, with proven + controlled resources of 85.6 million tons and inferred resources. About 8.6 million tons, the average grade of lithium oxide is about 1.43%.
In April 2023, the project's first green production plant for lithium concentrate has started operation. According to the company's plan, the first phase of the Grota do Cirilo spodumene project is expected to produce 270,000 tons of high-purity battery-grade lithium concentrate per year, equivalent to approximately 36,700 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year. After the expansion of this project, the annual output of lithium concentrate is expected to nearly double to 510,000 tons, and the project will start at the end of March this year.
Based on the study of mineral reserves, Sigma Lithium also said that the project has the potential to produce 768,000 tons of lithium concentrate (104,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent) in the second to eighth years of operation. Upon reaching full commercial production, Sigma Lithium is expected to become a top-five lithium producer in the world.
