US lithium producer Atlas Lithium has been granted permits from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil to build and operate its lithium refinery.
The refinery, which will process mined ore from one of Atlas' deposits, is set to scale up to 300,000 t/yr of lithium concentrate production by mid-2025, the firm said last December.
The permitting encompasses 85 mineral rights across approximately 468sq km, including regions Neves, Coronel Murta, Eastern Properties, Itinga, Salinas, Santa Clara and Tesouras.
"We are thrilled with today's announcement, as permitting is widely considered the most critical risk in any mining project," said chief executive Marc Fogassa.
The firm has signed offtake agreements with Japanese trading house Mitsui as well as Chinese firms Chengxin Lithium Group and Yahua Industrial Group.
