Lithium Ionic Advances Towards Key Permitting Milestone for Bandeira Lithium Project, Brazil
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Lithium Ionic said the Minas Gerais State Department of Environment and Sustainable Development (SEMAD) has issued a favorable technical report recommending the approval of the company’s concomitant environmental, installation, and operational license (LAC) for its Bandeira Lithium Project.
This positive recommendation represents a major advancement in the company’s permitting process and is a critical step toward securing the final environmental license necessary to begin construction and operations at Bandeira.
“This positive recommendation from SEMAD is a pivotal milestone for the Bandeira Project, bringing us significantly closer to receiving full environmental approval and commencing construction. We appreciate the diligent work of SEMAD’s technical team in evaluating our studies and operational plans,” said Blake Hylands, P.Geo., chief executive officer of Lithium Ionic.
“With Bandeira positioned as one of Brazil’s most advanced lithium projects, we are eager to move forward with development and contribute to the global lithium supply chain,” added Hylands.
REGULATORY PROGRESS AND NEXT STEPS
Lithium Ionic submitted its LAC permit application in late 2023, initiating a thorough environmental review process that included a comprehensive site inspection by SEMAD’s technical team, detailed review of environmental impact studies and risk assessments, as well as multiple rounds of regulatory reviews and clarifications, successfully addressed by the company.
Following this evaluation, SEMAD’s interdisciplinary team formally recommended the approval of the LAC environmental license, which, when granted, will permit both the construction and operation of the Bandeira Project.
In the report, SEMAD recommends a granting of the environmental license for the following:
• Underground lithium mining of pegmatites
• Mineral treatment unit (UTM)
• Reject/waste pile management
• Fuel storage and supply infrastructure for operational use
Upon final approval, the installation license (LI) will be valid for four years, while the operational license (LO) will be valid for ten years, contingent on compliance with regulatory conditions.
According to the report, a final decision on the issuance of the LAC license is expected to be made on February 28, 2025, following a meeting by the Câmara de Atividades Minerárias (CMI), a key decision-making body within SEMAD.
In parallel with the permitting process, Lithium Ionic continues to advance key project development initiatives. Engineering and logistical preparations are well underway, ensuring the company is positioned to begin initial construction activities at Bandeira promptly upon receipt of the LAC license.
Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its Itinga and Salinas group of properties cover ~17,000 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. Its feasibility-stage Bandeira Project is situated in the same region as CBL’s Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium’s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas.
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