Horizonte Minerals plc has submitted environmental studies for its 100%-owned Vermelho nickel-cobalt project in northeast Brazil.
PRELIMINARY LICENCE
The company completed the environmental and social impact assessment (EIA) and the associated Relatório de Impacto Ambiental (RIMA) for the Pará State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainability (SEMAS).
Horizonte said it hoped to receive approval for the EIA/RIMA and subsequent granting of a preliminary licence (LP) in mid-2024.
The LP is the first in a three-stage environmental licensing process to develop a mine in Brazil.
DATA
Over 18 months, Horizonte and its consultants collected and analysed baseline social and environmental data specified by SEMAS, to document the current physical, biological and social settings at Vermelho.
The company also used information from the previous owner Vale S.A from which it acquired the project in 2017.
Horizonte said that Vale had successfully attained an LP for the project and subsequently made a positive construction decision in 2005.
The company also continues work on the feasibility study expected for publication during the first half of 2024.
OPPORTUNITIES
“The submission and filing of the EIA/RIMA marks another key milestone along Vermelho’s development pathway, as we continue to de-risk our project pipeline,” added chief executive Jeremy Martin.
“Over the coming months, we will continue to work closely with local stakeholders as Vermelho is expected to contribute significant employment opportunities for the region and deliver significant socio-economic value.”
Vermelho lies 160km from the company’s flagship Araguaia nickel project which remains on budget and on schedule to produce first nickel during Q1 2024.