Lodges Updated Jaguar Mining Lease
Centaurus Metals (ASX: CTM) has taken another important step towards the development of its flagship 100%-owned Jaguar Nickel Project in northern Brazil after lodging an updated Mining Lease Application (MLA) revising the original MLA lodged by Vale in 2013.
The MLA update, which has been lodged with the ANM (Agência Nacional de Mineração/National Mining Agency) accounts for the revision of the scale and scope of the mining and processing activities based on the Jaguar Nickel Sulphate Project outlined in the Scoping Study released in May this year.
The primary document in the MLA process is the PAE (Plano de Aproveitamento Econômico/Economic Utilization Plan), which demonstrates both the commercial viability of the Jaguar Project as well as the Company’s capacity to implement it.
The application contemplates open pit and underground operations to supply 2.7Mtpa of ore to a nickel sulphide flotation plant and hydrometallurgical circuit to produce ~20,000tpa of nickel in sulphate plus by-products.
The company presented the detail of the PAE and Mining Lease Application to the ANM in Belem with the presentation being very well received.
Centaurus’ Managing Director, Darren Gordon, said the lodgement of the updated Mining Lease Application marked another very important step in the pathway to production at Jaguar.
“Lodging the PAE brings us one step closer to production at Jaguar. The Project will deliver huge economic benefits to the local region through the creation of around 800 jobs during construction and over 1,000 jobs during operations. These new jobs, when combined with the strong stream of royalties and taxes that will flow into the local community annually over the project life, will ensure the Project creates a lasting positive legacy for generations to come,” Mr Gordon said.
“We expect that royalties and taxes from the Project will amount to more than US$400 million over the initial 13- year project life, with over half of this flowing directly to the local region. The ability of the Jaguar Project to positively impact the lives of the local community in a sustainable manner is very appealing for Centaurus as a Company committed to the highest possible ESG standards.
“With Brazil having a well-established mining regulation system and a clear road map to mining, we look forward to working with the ANM to getting the updated Mining Lease Application approved in a timely manner so we can continue to advance the development and construction of the project and realise these substantial economic and community benefits.
“Importantly, the Brazilian Government announced in June this year that nickel is a key part of its strategic minerals policy and of high importance for the transition to electrification. As a global leader in renewable energy, Brazil is also in the enviable position of being able to be a leader in green mining with the Jaguar Project set to be flagship project for the country in this regard.
For further information please visit: https://www.centaurus.com.au/
