Vale recently put out a comprehensive Research, Development, & Innovation Report for 2025 that delved in some detail into how technology is shaping its mine of the future journey in terms of smarter and more sustainable operations.

The company stated: “At Vale, we believe in mining that has less environmental impact, is even safer, and employs increasingly sustainable processes. This vision guides the development of operations that are smarter, more technologically advanced, and less invasive, moving toward zero waste rock, tailings, and carbon emissions. To achieve this, we foster an adaptive, purpose-driven workforce capable of uniting people and technology to transform the future of mining and create value for society.”

President Gustavo Pimenta added: “We invest in solutions capable of increasing operational predictability, reducing risk exposure, improving mineral resource utilisation, and accelerating our decarbonisation journey. Beyond developing new technologies, we are focused on embedding innovation into the company’s daily operations, connecting strategy, operations, and execution. Safety remains our core value, and innovation plays a decisive role in this context. Advancements in automation, artificial intelligence, real-time monitoring, and remote operations are enhancing our ability to anticipate deviations, strengthen controls, and support faster, more accurate decision-making.”

Looking at mining fleet automation – in 2018, the Brucutu mine in Minas Gerais marked the beginning of a transformation that would change the way Vale operates. That was where Vale’s first autonomous trucks began operating. Vale: “For the first time, machines ran without drivers in the cabs, guided by
artificial intelligence, digital systems, GPS, LiDAR, and radar. People began taking control remotely, from safer environments.”

Vale adds: “The technological infrastructure required for implementation involves installing autonomous kits – comprising sensors, cameras, radars, and navigation systems – on the equipment, alongside communication networks, control software, and sensors on other vehicles operating within the mines, enabling the system to identify them all. Remote operation centres are also part of this digital ecosystem, allowing for real-time monitoring and oversight of activities. The operational gains in productivity and predictability are significant: equipment such as trucks can increase their daily operating time from 15 to 20 hours. More precise operation also yields benefits: it extends the service life of components by up to 40% and tyres by up to 25%, thereby reducing replacements and waste.”

Vale also says the use of autonomous vehicles yields gains of up to 15% in operational efficiency and a reduction of up to 7.5% in fuel consumption, thereby contributing to the reduction of Vale’s carbon emissions. Considering fuel savings for a single truck alone, the potential annual reduction in carbon emissions would be equivalent to more than 1,500 trees growing for 20 years – amounting to 240 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Currently, more than 70 autonomous units are in operation in Brazil: 29 off-highway trucks, 18 drills, and 30 yard machines. They operate in Minas Gerais, Pará, Maranhão, and Rio de Janeiro,
and Vale adds that the technology is already crossing borders, with initiatives in Canada and Malaysia.

Around 300 job roles were transitioned out of areas subject to operational risks. All employees involved in autonomous technology implementation projects receive training – whether for new roles or to perform existing tasks differently while interacting with autonomous vehicles and machinery.

In 2025, Vale entered into an agreement to expand its fleet of autonomous off-highway trucks at the Northern System in Carajás (Pará). This expansion will take place gradually over the next five years at the Serra Norte and Serra Sul mines. The region currently operates 14 autonomous trucks, and under the new agreement, the fleet is expected to reach approximately 90 units by 2028. The expansion will be accompanied by an employee development plan designed to prepare staff for new strategic roles within the digital environment.

This AHS expansion in the Northern System is being done together with Caterpillar and its dealer Sotreq with deployment of Cat® MineStar™ Command for hauling. It is significant in two ways – first the trucks involved in the project will coexist with another technology consolidated at Vale: the truckless system, which uses a network of long-distance belt conveyors to transport ore from one point to another without fuel consumption and with a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

Second, it involves both conversion of Caterpillar and competitor mining trucks. Marcelo Bacci, Vale Executive Vice President – Finance and Investor Relations told IM last year: “With the autonomous trucks there was an important change in the industry more recently, where the autonomous kits that you buy are interchangeable between the different brands – so you can buy the kit from one brand and install on the truck you have from another brand. So that reduces a lot the CAPEX as you don’t need to change the whole equipment – only make autonomous the truck that you had before.”

“The use of autonomous transportation technologies in our operations in the Northern Corridor is a fundamental strategy to strengthen the culture of operational excellence and prepare our teams to lead with the challenges of an increasingly efficient, competitive and sustainable mining industry,” says Carlos Medeiros, VP of Operations at Vale.

Moving to digitalisation, Vale says it is enhancing the mining industry’s ability to operate with greater safety, efficiency, and reliability. “By integrating data, automation, and analytics into its processes, Vale strengthens real-time monitoring, reduces variability, and increases production predictability. This shift also facilitates faster, more accurate decision-making, reduces personnel exposure to risk, improves asset and resource utilisation, lowers operating costs, and accelerates innovation. Beyond operational gains, this represents a transformation that supports the business’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness.”

Maximising the potential of the Capanema mine in Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais) it says marks a new phase in the company’s mining operations and exemplifies how Research, Development, and Innovation are shaping the way it operates. Approximately R$5.2 billion was invested to reactivate the facility – which had been idle for 22 years – covering facility modernisation and integration with other regional mines to optimise processes and minimise environmental impact.

Capanema resumes operations already aligned with the new “smart operations” model: mining that requires no water for processing and generates no tailings, thereby eliminating the need for dams. Additionally, the project recovers ore from an old waste rock pile (the WH Pile), enabling a 100% circular operation.

Digitalisation is present in instrumentation, connectivity, and real-time monitoring, enhancing control, predictability, and operational stability. Capanema is also the first mine to launch as 100% autonomous, reinforcing this strategic direction – this includes a fleet of autonomous Cat 789D trucks. Integration with other operations in the region helps optimise workflows, improve resource utilisation, and reduce environmental impacts.

Finally, looking at climate change – and Vale is committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. For Scope 3, the goal is to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% by 2035.

To this end, Vale is already testing 100% electric trucks and locomotives and investing in short-term alternatives, such as dual-fuel ethanol, which has the potential to replace 50% to 90% of diesel, and biodiesel, with advances expected for trucks and railways starting in 2026. New series of prototypes are scheduled for 2027 and 2028. Field tests are ongoing with haul trucks using B30 and B50 biodiesel, which could lead to a reduction in emissions of up to 35% compared to the diesel currently consumed by Vale in Brazil.

Vale has begun a new phase of testing an XCMG battery-powered electric haul truck – the XDR80TE with a load capacity of 72 t – that it has had since 2022. In addition, Vale and Caterpillar have signed an agreement to test battery electric large trucks and energy transfer systems, as well as conduct studies on ethanol-powered trucks. A battery powered truck with capacity of 240 t will be tested by Vale at its operations in Minas Gerais. Caterpillar is also developing energy transfer solutions for trucks, which will be tested at the mining company’s operations in Pará over the next few years. The two companies will also begin a joint study on a dual fuel solution for haul trucks operating on ethanol and diesel fuel.

Vale, Komatsu, and Cummins are partnering to develop dual-fuel haul trucks (230–290 tons) powered by an ethanol-diesel blend. The engines will use up to 70% ethanol to potentially reduce direct CO₂ emissions by 70%. The project includes testing at Cummins’ facilities.