In January 2022, the construction of the headquarters of South Star Battery Metals, a Canadian company settling in the municipality of Itabela, should begin. The announcement was made last week by the company’s Chairman and CEO, Richard Pearce, during a meeting with Mayor Luciano Francisqueto and City Environment Secretary Ednardo Morais.

EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME GENERATION – The establishment of the mining company will represent an investment of more than 130 million in the municipality. In the first phase alone, 30 million will be invested and, according to the environment secretary, the implementation of the second phase is already underway. “This implementation will represent a new frontier for Itabela with the creation of jobs and taxes. The opportunities will multiply”, underlined the Secretary of the Environment.

The CEO of the mining company informed that the company should directly generate 55 jobs and that these figures are multiplied by 13, when taking into account the contracts that will be made by service providers and suppliers.

Pearce informed that the mining company is in the process of completing the necessary bureaucratic processes and has already obtained the municipal and national environmental license. “We are in the process of concluding the financing issues and, shortly after, we will mobilize the entrepreneurs. Construction is to be completed in 12 months. The forecast is that in December 2022, the company will begin commercial operations,” Pearce pointed out.

The CEO of the mining company informed that the fact that the municipality of Itabela, as well as other municipalities in the region, have the company’s raw material, graphite, has guaranteed the implementation of the mining company and thanked all the support it has received from the town hall in streamlining the licensing processes. “The city government, through the Secretariat of the Environment, has given us all the support in licensing, to make sure everything is done in accordance with environmental laws,” Pearce said.

Mayor Luciano Francisqueto, who since the beginning of the process of setting up the company in the municipality has given his full support to the mining company, wanted to highlight the importance of this great achievement for Itabela. “We are continuing our social and economic growth. The confirmation of this investment in Itabela is proof of this. This is another important achievement for the entire local community,” concluded the mayor.

MINING PROJECT – In January 2022, the first stone will be laid which will start the construction of the company headquarters and in 12 months commercial activities will begin.

South Star Battery Metals will explore graphite flake mineralization. The project has 13 approved exploration licenses.