Bacanora clears regulatory hurdle at Sonora lithium project

Lithium exploration and development company Bacanora Minerals announced on Friday that the environmental impact statement - the ‘manifestacion de impacto ambiental’ (MIA) - for its flagship Sonora Project in Mexico has been approved by SEMARNAT, the Environment Ministry of Mexico.

The AIM-traded firm also updated the market on its ongoing feasibility study for a 35,000 tonnes per annum lithium carbonate operation at Sonora, which was on course for completion in late 2017.

It said the approval represented a “major milestone” for Bacanora, and was in line with its strategy to construct an open-pit mine and a large scale beneficiation processing facility at Sonora.

The feasibility study was expected to confirm Sonora occupies a “favourable position” in the industry cost curve due to planned open pit mining operations, the development of a conventional beneficiation process followed by a standard SO4 roasting process, a free digging lithium deposit which would remove the need for the lithium ore to be drilled, blasted, crushed and ground, and the ability to re-cycle Na2SO4 into the roaster which would negate the requirement to purchase “expensive” sulphuric acid as a sulphate SO4 source.

“Government approval for the environmental impact statement is the latest key requirement that is now in place at Sonora,” said Bacanora CEO Peter Secker.

“One-by-one we are ticking off our checklist ahead of our goal of developing Sonora into a world class lithium operation.

“Our work to date has already established Sonora as a large and scalable project; while our pilot plant at Sonora has been producing battery grade lithium carbonate on a continuous basis for the past eighteen months.”

Secker said that had served to prove the detailed flow sheet and metallurgical process that would be deployed at the project, and had also helped to secure Hanwa as both a strategic and off-take partner for up to 100% of production.

“We are confident that Sonora remains on course to help meet expected strong growth in demand for lithium carbonate from fast-growing industries such as electric vehicles and battery storage.

“I look forward to providing further updates on our progress, as we focus on transforming Bacanora into a producer of battery grade lithium carbonate.”