A feasibility study on Lithium Ionic Corp’s 100%-owned Bandeira lithium project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, has outlined a US$266 million underground development and plant producing an average 178,000 tonnes a year of spodumene concentrate over 14 years.
The company has a circa-14,000-hectare land package in Brazil’s “Lithium Valley” hard-rock lithium region.
It said Bandiera could produce 5.5% Li2O (SC5.5) lithium spodumene at “all-in life-of-mine opex of US$444/tonne of SC5.5, under the study.
“For safety and environmental reasons, the mine will utilise dry stacking waste disposal, which among other benefits will reduce water usage and facilitating site rehabilitation,” Lithium Ionic said.
Construction permits were “on track for mid-2024”.
“Approval is expected in early Q3 2024,” the company said.
The Bandeira FS was completed by Atkins Realis (formerly SNC Lavalin) and follows release of a preliminary economic assessment in October 2023.