Savannah Resources PLC (AIM:SAV, ETR:SAV, OTC:SAVNF) has updated investors regarding the 'Article 16' phase of the review being conducted by Portugal's environmental regulator, Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) on the environmental impact assessment of the Barroso lithium project.
Savannah said it is now nearing completion of a series of very productive virtual and face-to-face meetings with APA and other member groups of APA's EIA evaluation committee, which were initiated in July on entering the Article 16 phase of the EIA.
The meetings have continued to be constructive and have helped Savannah to gain a full understanding of the committee's concerns in relation to the company's previous EIA submission for the project.
In collaboration with its team of local and international engineering and environmental consultancies, Savannah Resources said it has now developed an updated site layout and mine plan which it believes addresses the concerns raised by APA and its evaluation committee, whilst reducing the overall environmental impact of the project.
The changes are not expected to have an adverse impact on volume or quality of the planned spodumene production.
Work is now largely focused on the revisions of the EIA documents and Savannah remains on track to make its resubmission during the first quarter of 2023, ahead of the 17 March deadline.
Following submission of the updated EIA, APA will then have a maximum of 50 business days to conduct its review and issue its Declaration of Environmental Impact decision
"We have continued to work closely with APA to find agreeable solutions to the concerns they raised about Savannah's original EIA,” said Dale Ferguson, chief executive of Savannah Resources in a statement.
“APA's staff have been very helpful and constructive during this process, and we thank them for the positive attitude taken to resolve these concerns while we seek to optimise the Project and reduce its environmental impact on the region. Savannah's team and our group of consultants have been working hard on the revisions required and I am very pleased with the updated site layout and mine plan we have created," he added.