Sigma, Lithium Producer in Minas Gerais, Aims to Double Production to Meet Electric Vehicle Demand and Create Jobs

Sigma Aims to Double Its Lithium Production from 220 Thousand to 440 Thousand Tons at Its Plant in Minas Gerais, Creating Many Jobs

Considering that currently electric cars require a greater manufacturing process for batteries, and some automakers are facing certain difficulties in finding sellers, Sigma, which produces lithium for manufacturing the product in the Minas Gerais region, is looking to gain ground in the electric vehicle sector and create new jobs.

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The Race of Electric Cars and Job Creation in Minas Gerais

The company is leveraging the green race of electric cars, which is primarily happening in Europe. According to Ana Gardner, co-chair and strategy director at Sigma, the European consumer is much more conscious, as they pay more for electric cars and want to know if the vehicle won’t just move gases from one street to another.

According to Ana, this demand for a lower environmental impact in the production chain of electric cars favors Sigma, which always seeks to meet ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria throughout its lithium production process.

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Sigma Doubles Lithium Production at Its Factory in Minas Gerais

All this care for sustainability is bringing good results to the lithium-producing company, and coupled with the increasing demand for electric cars in Europe, it has led Sigma to be “forced” to double its lithium production at its factory in Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, creating many new jobs.

According to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, from April of last year to May of this year, lithium prices rose by about 59%. According to Ana, the biggest challenge for the company right now is to meet the demand for sustainable lithium.

The Company’s Expansion in Minas Gerais

Ana states that Sigma has already pre-sold about 220 thousand tons of lithium in long-term contracts, which corresponds to the entire capacity of the factory in Minas Gerais; however, due to the demand for battery materials for electric cars, it was necessary to increase the phase 2 capacity of the mining unit from 220 thousand to 440 thousand tons. On the 10th of this month, Sigma announced that it intends to invest R$ 859.4 million to expand production and create many jobs in Minas Gerais.

Thus, land clearing operations have already begun at Grota de Cirilo, in the municipality of Itinga. The estimate is that large-scale production will start in 2022 and, in the following year, production will be doubled, generating even more jobs and income for the local population.

According to Ana, the logistics in Brazil do not worry the company; she says that the state of Minas Gerais is highly viable for mining, given that its highway is fully paved, connecting the mine directly to the port of Ilhéus.