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Construction Starts On Major Sonoran Lithium Mine

Construction has started on a major lithium mine in Sonora, the Mexican state to Arizona’s south.

That comes after the company recently raised an additional $65 million, according to a release from Bacanora Lithium.

The mine is near the remote northeastern Sonoran town of Bacadéhuachi.

The Chinese lithium company Ganfeng is the largest shareholder in the company and will be a major customer of the mine’s output.

During the first phase, Bacanora Lithium expects to extract nearly 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually, increasing to nearly 39,000 tons in the second phase. Production of battery-grade lithium products is anticipated by 2023, according to the release.

Murphy Woodhouse was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2018 to 2023.