Circular mining
-
Our Approach
戻る
Our Approach
access-the-page Our Approach
access-the-page Integrated Strategy
access-the-page Governance
-
Sustainable mining
Sustainable mining
access-the-page Sustainable mining
access-the-page Nature
Nature
access-the-page Nature
access-the-page Water and effluents
access-the-page Waste management
access-the-page Climate
access-the-page Social
Social
access-the-page Social
access-the-page Our People
access-the-page Local Communities
access-the-page Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities
Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities
access-the-page Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities
access-the-page Suppliers
-
Reparation
recent-searches
クイックリンク
Advancing a circular economy
At Vale, implementing circular mining presents challenges as well as opportunities to minimize impacts and create sustainable value for the business and the wider value chain. Our approach to circular mining spans from developing coproducts from mining to implementing new methods for reprocessing tailings and minimizing waste rock. Through our Waste to Value program, we have set an ambition to establish a global ferrous metals operation with a minimal waste footprint by 2035, advancing the circular economy across the end-to-end value chain.
One of our flagship initiatives is repurposing iron ore tailings from our Gelado tailings dam in Carajás (PA). We are also repurposing sand tailings generated in the production of iron ore as a replacement for sand quarried from riverbeds and coastal areas. The sand we produce is used in a range of construction applications, including concrete, mortar, prefabricated elements and road surfacing. This reduces the volume of tailings disposed of in piles or dams.
In 2023, we produced 800,000 tons of sand from the Brucutu mine in São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo (MG), a material with quality certified by specialized laboratories. Vale also intends to start production at the Cauê mine in Itabira.
We also supported a study at the University of Queensland ( Australia) and the University of Geneva (Switzerland), presented last year at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The study demonstrated the potential of using sand from the iron ore production process as a sustainable alternative to predatory quarrying from riverbeds.
We have also made progress in building circular mining capabilities in basic metals operations, including the use of nickel from tailings, recycled slag and reprocessed copper.
Click on the buttons below to navigate the page:
Waste to Value Program
Tailings case studies
Gelado Project
In March 2023 we started operation of our Gelado Project, producing pellet feed from iron ore tailings in Carajás (PA). Vale has stored mine tailings adjacent to the Gelado dam over the last 37 years. The material contains iron ore particles that were not recovered during processing, as well as impurities such as silica and alumina.
The project, an investment of US$ 485 million, has an initial production capacity of 5 million metric tons per year. The final product will be fed to Vale’s pelletizing plant in São Luís (MA). The high-grade pellets produced at the site help our steelmaking customers to reduce their carbon emissions compared to lower-grade products. Vale has set a target to reduce scope 3 emissions by 15% by 2035.
The material extracted from the storage facility has an average iron content of 63%, and is considered a high-grade material. At the plant, the material undergoes a magnetic concentration process in which a powerful magnet separates ferrous particles from the silica and alumina, yielding an even higher grade product. This is Vale’s first plant to use magnetic concentration in our operations in Pará.
The project’s sustainability is further enhanced by the use of fully electric dredges and pumps, which use electricity from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels like diesel. This will avoid 484,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions over the course of ten years—equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of 105,000 compact gasoline-fueled cars with one-liter engines.
Brick factory
In November 2020 we started operation of our Pico concrete block manufacturing facility, our first pilot plant producing building and construction products from mine tailings. Located at our Pico mine in Itabirito (MG), the facility will incorporate circular economy practices in our iron ore processing operations at this site.
Following initial testing, the plant is expected to repurpose annually 30,000 metric tons of tailings that would otherwise be stored in piles and dams to produce 3.8 million pre-molded concrete products for the building and construction industry, including interlocking pavers and structural and architectural concrete blocks.
Arquivo Vale
Vale has conducted research on potential applications for mine tailings since 2014. Over the two first years of operation, Vale will invest approximately R$ 25 million in research and development (R&D) in collaboration with the Minas Gerais Federal Center for Technological Education (CEFET-MG). Ten researchers from the center are involved in the research program, including professors, lab technicians and graduate, undergraduate and associate degree students.
Following the initial R&D stage at the Pico mine, Vale plans build similar concrete block facilities at other operations in Minas Gerais. We have also partnered with more than 30 organizations—including universities, research centers and local and overseas companies—to develop solutions for repurposing mine waste in a wide range of industries.
Vale
Initiatives
Anda mengakses pengalaman:
Iniciativas
Vale
Initiatives
Anda mengakses pengalaman:
© Vale | Seluruh hak cipta.