Sigma Lithium beats Q2 guidance with 35,000 tonnes produced

Sigma Lithium Corp. produced 35,000 tonnes of lithium oxide concentrate in the second quarter of 2026, exceeding its guidance of 33,000 tonnes by 6% after completing a comprehensive upgrade of its mining operations in Brazil.

"The production performance was a result of the successful execution by Sigma Lithium of a comprehensive mining upgrade, following a primarization of its mining operations," the company said in a statement Thursday.

The company's Cleantech Industrial Plant achieved 70% recovery of lithium from spodumene ore during the quarter, delivering an approximate 20% yield. Sigma Lithium's expanded mining fleet reached full operating run-rate, supported by an optimized mine plan and enhanced operational execution. The company produced 83,699 ounces of gold-equivalent at its Séguéla mine in Côte d'Ivoire during the first half of 2026, though the lithium operations remain the primary focus for the Americas' largest producer of lithium oxide concentrate, according to USGS data.

Sigma Lithium is on track to deliver annualized production of 240,000 tonnes for Phase 1 at its Grota do Cirilo operation in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The company outlined expansion plans that would lift combined capacity to 520,000 tonnes with a second plant and 770,000 tonnes with a third. At current lithium prices of $1,500 per tonne for 6% Li2O content, the company projects cash flow of $130 million for Phase 1 alone, rising to $493 million across all three phases. At $2,500 per tonne, cash flow would reach $330 million for Phase 1 and $1.14 billion across all phases.

Mining Upgrade Drives Operational Gains

The primarization of Sigma Lithium's mining operations — bringing the mining fleet and team in-house — improved operating efficiency and strengthened production reliability, the company said. The company's own mining operations team demonstrated readiness to supply raw materials for the planned expansion to a second Cleantech Industrial Plant within 12 months and potentially a third.

Sigma Lithium's all-in sustaining cost for Phase 1 stands at $710 per tonne on a CIF China basis, with maintenance capex of $6 per tonne and sales and administrative expenses of $80 per tonne. The company expects those costs to decline to $610 per tonne across all three phases as scale improves.

The company's Grota do Cirilo complex is one of the world's fifth-largest industrial-mineral operations for lithium oxide concentrate. Sigma Lithium operates with zero toxic chemicals, 100% water reuse, zero tailings dams, and 100% renewable electricity, and has not experienced a lost-time accident in more than two years.

Full second-quarter financial and operating results are scheduled for release on Aug. 14, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.