Ana Cabral-Gardner, CEO of mining company Sigma Lithium, met with Brazilian Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira this week to discuss a lithium mining project in the Brazilian town of Vale do Jequitinhonha in Minas Gerais state. The region has great potential for mining production.

The Ministry of Energy is currently developing a comprehensive plan for the region with a primary focus on exploring mining opportunities in the context of the energy transition and regional development. The project includes creating business opportunities, increasing the income of local residents and promoting the development of society as a whole.

Lithium is a key raw material for batteries and is abundant in Brazil. The country is also the seventh largest mineral resource country in the world, with total lithium reserves of 1,230 tons. Brazil is also the world's fifth largest mining producer.

Silveira said the Vale do Jequitinhonha lithium mining project presents an opportunity for Brazil to become a major player in the global production of lithium, which is an important mineral for the energy transition.

"We know that key minerals will be the foundation of the energy transition, so we must build on these potential in Brazil and coordinate and develop public policies that will provide significant returns to our society and ensure sustainability," he said.

Last week, Sigma Lithium shipped the world's first shipment of green lithium from Porto de Vitoria to China. The shipment, which came from minerals mined at Vale do Jequitinhonha, included 15,000 tonnes of three-zero-carbon green lithium and an additional 15,000 tonnes of ultra-fine, high-purity by-products. Brazil's exports are expected to reach about 130,000 tons by the end of the year.

Brazil, along with countries such as Chile, Argentina, the United States, Canada and Australia, is one of the countries with the greatest lithium mining potential. Editor/Xu Shengpeng