Vale plans to resume pelletizing activities at its Fabrica iron ore mine by 2022 depending on market conditions. The company anticipates getting final approval to use the wet processing production method at its Fabrica mine by Q3 2021.
At its Vargem Grande site, Vale expects to start-up its Maravilhas III iron ore dam by Q3 2021. Vale plans to begin activities at a dry processing magnetic concentration plant at its Vargem Grande complex by 2023 which will add 1.5mn mt annual iron ore capacity.
The Vargem Grande complex is increasing railway capacity, specifically elevating automated train productivity and decreasing emergency levels of Froqulhas and Grupo dams.
Vale also plans to start up the Serra Sul 120 project in Q2 2024. In Itabira, completion of the Itabirucu raising works is anticipated by Q2 2022. The Bructu project will have to commission the tailings filtering plant and dry stacking activities by Q1 2022. The start-up of Torto dam, which will increase the site’s capacity to 28mn mt annually, will be operational in H2 2022 from the initially scheduled Q4 2021 timeline due to required authorizations on safety factors.