Atlas Lithium obtains operating permit for Brazil project

US-based exploration company Atlas Lithium received the operating permit for its Neves project from Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. 

"With this positive decision, Atlas Lithium has all the needed authorizations to assemble and run its processing plant and develop open-pit mining operations at one of its lithium deposits. This marks a crucial milestone in the company’s goal of becoming a lithium producer," the firm said in a statement.

Neves requires estimated capex of US$49.5mn, according to the BNamericas projects database. 

It is in a region called Vale do Jequitinhonha, which is also known as the Lithium Valley because Brazil’s main lithium projects are in the area.

“Atlas Lithium’s permit reflects fourteen months of our team’s meticulous work throughout the licensing process and showcases our unwavering commitment to developing an environmentally responsible and sustainable operation in Brazil’s Lithium Valley – a mineral district which is rapidly establishing itself as a premier location in the global lithium supply chain," said CEO Marc Fogassa.