Santa Cruz is scheduled to complete the Phase 1 plant construction in June of 2024, followed by an estimated six weeks of commissioning and production ramp-up.
The current Phase 1 plant can produce approximately 1,000 tonnes monthly once steady-state operations are reached.
In February, the company received environmental approval for Phases 2 and 3 for the mine.
Brazil is the second-largest graphite-producing region in the world, having more than 80 years of continuous mining.
Santa Cruz has at-surface mineralization in friable materials, and successful large-scale pilot-plant testing (> 30t) has been completed. The company’s testing results show that approximately 65% of graphite concentrate is +80 mesh with good recoveries and 95%-99% graphitic carbon (Cg).
Santa Cruz will be the first new graphite production in the Americas since 1996. Phase 2 production (25,000 tpa) is partially funded and planned for 2026, while Phase 3…
