The growth in electric vehicle sales in Europe, Asia and the US represents a fantastic opportunity for Brazil to position itself as a green lithium powerhouse, co-CEO of Sigma Lithium Ana Cabral-Gardner told the country's Congress recently.
She was speaking during a seminar organized by IBRAM (Brazilian Mining Industry Council) and the Mining and Energy Commission.
The company executive is also soon to address the key United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) on November 8 and 11 in Glasgow, Scotland.
"Countries that produce lithium will gain relevance and importance on the global stage over the next decade in the race to net zero. This is why so many governments across Europe, the US, South America and Asia are decarbonizing mobility and fostering production of lithium materials as a top priority," she said.
READ: Sigma Lithium Co-CEO says technology will be key to make lithium greener and cheaper
Sigma Lithium is advancing the largest hard rock lithium deposits in the Americas at its Grota do Cirilo Project with an environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-centric strategy, including an environmentally sustainable method designed to produce lithium concentrate with zero use of hazardous chemicals, 100% clean energy, 100% water re-circulation and 100% dry stacking of tailings.
The company is currently at the pre-construction and detailed engineering stage of an environmentally friendly, dense media separator (DMS) production plant.
In Congress, Cabral-Gardner also highlighted the following points:
- Brazil has plenty of lithium to export. Brazil is already a global case study in low carbon mobility powering cars with ethanol, biofuels and natural gas;
- Sigma Lithium is one of the few companies that has managed to produce lithium in an environmentally sustainable manner;
- Brazil has an incredible opportunity to join its neighbors in South America, Chile and Argentina, who have developed their lithium industry and are major global exporters of lithium; and
- Becoming a global exporting powerhouse of lithium will bring to Brazil investments, business, jobs and critical tax revenues that will contribute to important federal and regional development projects and infrastructure, especially in the north of Minas Gerais state.
Cabral-Gardner added that she believed Congress has an important opportunity to support this new industry, removing bureaucratic restrictions, and improving the business environment to attract investments and jobs to lift the impoverished region of Vale do Jequitinhonha.
Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinvestors.com