PatienceToWin
Oct 3, 9:24 AM
$SGML TRF-6 allows Sigma Lithium to resume mining in Jequitinhonha but keeps plant expansion blocked
Decision came hours after the mining company announced the suspension of operations in Araçuaí and Itinga
Lucas Ragazzi
Lucas Ragazzi
Published October 1, 2026
6:00 PM
Sigma's operation
Sigma maintains operations in Minas Gerais. Photo: Courtesy
The Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region (TRF-6) reinstated three environmental licenses held by Sigma Lithium in the Jequitinhonha Valley this Thursday (1st) and authorized the resumption of lithium extraction at the North and South pits and the Pegmatito Barreiro Project, located in Araçuaí and Itinga.
In her ruling, Federal Appellate Judge Mônica Sifuentes maintained the suspension of the license that allowed the company to more than triple its ore processing capacity—from 1.5 million to 5.2 million tons per year. She also prohibited the government of Minas Gerais from granting new licenses to expand the complex until an
0 replies