Canada’s Sigma Lithium has announced that civil works will begin this month on its Grota do Cirilo project in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The company, which has already completed the earthworks for the future production plant in Phase 1, said that after the civil works, work on the mechanical structure will begin in June.

“The work team is focused on the construction of the mine protection drainage in phase 1 (channels and pipelines) and the construction of a bypass of the municipal road around the Grota do Cirilo project. These two lines of work are expected to be completed in April,” the company said in a statement.

The engineering, procurement and construction management of the Phase 1 plant, including civil works, is responsible for Primero Group.

Sigma Lithium indicated that it has sufficient funds to fund Phase 1 of the project and has ordered certain long-life items to minimize potential supply chain delays.

Phase 1 will have a capacity of 240,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate, increasing to 460,000 tonnes/year, or 66,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, in phase 2.

Grota do Cirilo is the largest lithium-freestone deposit in America and since 2018 the company has been producing lithium concentrate on a trial scale at the site.

Sigma, which operates in Brazil through its subsidiary Sigma Mineração, plans to begin production at Grota do Cirilo in 4Q22.