Tag Archives: Minas Gerais

Vale introduces Agera, the Sustainable Sand business

Environmental, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

Vale has announced the introduction of Agera – a company created to develop and expand its Sustainable Sand business.

Based in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Agera receives the sand produced from the treatment of tailings generated by Vale’s iron ore operations in the state and promotes its commercialisation and distribution. The new company also invests in research and development (R&D) of new solutions for the product.

Sustainable Sand began to be produced by Vale in 2021 after seven years of research, as a substitute for sand extracted from the environment. Since then, around 900,000 t of the product have already been sent to the construction sector and road paving projects. The expectation is to sell 1 Mt this year and 2.1 Mt by 2024.

Fabiano Carvalho Filho, Vale’s Business Development Director, said: “We created Agera with the aim of scaling a business that is helping us to reduce the use of dams and piles in Minas Gerais, as well as helping to replace natural sand, which is often extracted predatorily from river beds. The creation of Agera is strongly linked to our strategy of promoting circular mining, which means strengthening the concepts of the circular economy in mining, associating economic development with better use of natural resources.”

Established about a year ago under the provisional name of Co-Log, Agera projects annual sales revenue of BRL18 million ($3.6 million) by 2023. Today, it has seven customer service points and stocks material in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The company has contracts with seven road hauliers and three rail freight providers. The company currently serves more than 80 manufacturing units in seven segments (concrete, precast, mortar, artifacts, cement, textured paints and pavement) and is investing in research to expand its operations in other applications, such as red ceramics.

Fábio Cerqueira, Agera’s CEO, said: “We are structured to accelerate the development of sustainable products and materials, meeting the specific requirements of the market. In addition, our logistical solutions enable end-to-end efficiency to guarantee agility in the supply of sustainable sand.”

In terms of the production of Sustainable Sand, the wet processing of iron ore, which is currently used for less than 30% of Vale’s production, generates tailings, which can be disposed of in dams or piles. These tailings are basically composed of silica, the main component of sand, and iron oxides. It is a non-toxic material, which is only processed physically.

Since 2014, Vale has been investing in research to find solutions for the reuse of sand from iron ore processing, with the aim of reducing the generation of tailings. In 2021, Vale began marketing Sustainable Sand, a product intended for civil construction with 100% legal origin, high silica content and low iron content, as well as high chemical and granulometric uniformity.

The sand has been produced at the Brucutu mine in Minas Gerais since 2021. Last year, the company began small-scale production at the Viga mine and in the coming months it plans to start production at the Cauê mine, in Itabira.

In Brazil, around 330 Mt of sand are used every year in construction and industrial processes. The extraction of natural sand from riverbeds often exceeds the rate of natural replenishment and can cause irreversible environmental impacts. With the production of Sustainable Sand, it is possible to carry out 100% circular extraction, transforming a material that would otherwise be discarded into various products for the benefit of society, without compromising biodiversity, Vale says.

In addition, Sustainable Sand generates greater profitability for the construction market and industries, since the process guarantees greater control and quality of the final product, avoiding material waste and reworking during construction, the company added. Also in concrete production, Sustainable Sand helps to reduce cement consumption and CO2 emissions.

Multotec expands Brazilian presence with new manufacturing facility

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Multotec has recently expanded its operation in Brazil with the opening of a manufacturing facility that, it says, enables the company to bring its manufacturing capabilities closer to its customers in the country, increasing its speed to market and enabling it to better serve the local mining sector.

Located in the city of Contagem, in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, the manufacturing facility is within close proximity of a multitude of iron ore mines that require an extensive range of mineral processing equipment for their plants.

Multotec Brazil Country Manager, Anthony Artin, explains that with Brazil being the world’s second-largest iron ore producer, Multotec had identified the country as a potential area of growth many years ago.

Artin says that, initially, Multotec Chile was overseeing the full South American region, with the company deciding to open a sales office in Brazil in 2019, giving focused service to Multotec’s customers here.

“The dynamics of Brazil are very unique as it is the fifth biggest country in the world, with the sixth largest population,” Artin says. “It has strict and complex import regulations.”

The feedback from clients emphasised the importance of localised sales and manufacturing in Brazil, according to Artin. Commercial and legislative requirements prompted a shift in Multotec’s approach, transitioning from a sales office to establishing a manufacturing facility in the country.

He said: “Our clients highlighted the significance of Brazil for Brazilians, emphasising the need for local manufacturing facilities to cater to the Brazilian market.”

The new facility focuses strongly on screening media, using compression moulding for the production of rubber screen panels and also hand-casting polyurethane (PU) panels. However, customers are increasingly requesting other products too, such as samplers and spirals that are used in mineral processing and separation.

“There are currently two bays in the manufacturing facility,” Artin says. “One is used for stockholding, assemblies and shipping, while the other is used for fabrication. Fabrication is done in two areas, with presses used for compression moulding of rubber and hand-casting moulding PU tables, alongside a PU preparation section and ovens.”

Artin notes that the facility has the capacity to produce 15-20 t/mth of elastomers and employs trained people in manufacturing and in stores, shipping and receiving. Plans are in place to increase the factory’s manufacturing capability in terms of injection moulding and more compression moulding, he said, adding that more machines will be incorporated into the operations – resulting in more people being employed in the future.

In addition, the premises also contain an office currently staffed by commercial, sales and administrative people. Having the office and manufacturing facility in one location is an added advantage, according to Artin. “It is beneficial having the people who sell the products located in the same space production,” he says. “They can thus understand the intricacies of the product and the processes that are involved in the manufacturing of the equipment.

“The ultimate goal is to have a fully localised branch. We want to have an all-Brazilian team, working for Multotec Brazil. Local partners and suppliers are key to us as we rely on local raw materials to deliver completely locally manufactured products.”

While the company’s focus has been on establishing the manufacturing facility, Artin says it has already applied for an extension of its environmental licence to ramp up its monthly production as it takes advantage of Brazil’s current lithium boom, which presents considerable opportunities in dense medium circuits.

Multotec Brazil will receive support from Multotec’s global industry knowledge and expertise, leading to enhanced operational efficiencies and providing customers with comprehensive solutions over and above a quality product offering, the company says. Furthermore, Brazil will collaborate closely with Chile on the Multotec range of customised samplers. With input from Chile and local manufacturing in Brazil, this collaboration will create a seamless workflow that maximises efficiency, ensuring the delivery of high-quality samplers tailored to the specific requirements of customers, it concluded.

Vale hits solar generation capacity at Sol do Cerrado energy complex in Brazil

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Vale says it has reached maximum capacity at the Sol do Cerrado solar energy complex in Brazil, one of the largest solar parks in Latin America.

The project is set to supply 16% of all the energy consumed by Vale in its operations in Brazil, in line with the company’s strategy of achieving zero CO2 emissions by 205o.

Vale reached the full installed capacity of the Sol do Cerrado project, in Jaíba, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, on Tuesday (July 18). On this date, the company received authorisation from the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) for the commercial operation of the last photovoltaic plant of the project, of a total of 17. The project has an installed capacity of 766 MW (peak), equivalent to the consumption of a city of 800,000 inhabitants, Vale says. Operating at full capacity, the solar complex will supply 16% of all the energy consumed by Vale in Brazil.

Sol do Cerrado, whose investments totalled around R$3 billion ($590m), is an important step in helping Vale achieve its climate goals of reducing net carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 33% by 2030 and zeroing them by 2050. The energy generated by the solar park will reduce Vale’s emissions by 134,000 t/y CO2e, which represents the emission of approximately 100,000 compact cars, according to the company. Vale also expects to reach 100% of renewable energy consumption in Brazil by 2025, and globally by 2030.

Vale began operations at Sol do Cerrado in November last year, with the start-up of four of the 17 photovoltaic plants or sub-parks of the complex, and expanded the operation over the following months, according to authorisations from the regulatory body.

The project has 1.4 million solar panels with an automatic tracking system of the sun’s movement during the day, for greater use of the sun’s rays in energy generation. Some 10.2 million metres of cables are used to conduct the energy.

Currently, Sol do Cerrado has about 100 permanent workers of various qualifications, such as electrotechnicians, electricians and general service assistants. During the implementation of the solar park, between 2021 and 2023, about 3,000 jobs were generated at the peak of activities, with almost 50% deemed to be local labour and 16% of the total jobs taken up by women.

Ludmila Nascimento, Vale’s Energy and Decarbonisation Director, said: “Over the past few months, we have been working hard on the ramp-up of the project, which went exactly as planned. We have successfully connected the 17 plants of the solar park and should already reach peak production next summer. Sol do Cerrado is a complex that brings together local development and renewable energy, contributing to our goal of being leaders in sustainable mining.”

The project also includes a 15-km-long transmission line, with a voltage of 230,000 volts, connecting the Sol do Cerrado and Jaíba collector substations, from where the energy is discharged to the National Interconnected System.

Vale brings second Sustainable Sand operation online

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Vale has added a second site to its Sustainable Sand efforts, having started industrial-scale production of the by-product at its Viga mine in Congonhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The operation has the capacity to process 200,000 t/y of sand, with 80,000 t slated for 2022 and 185,000 t in 2023.

Obtained from the treatment of iron ore tailings, Sustainable Sand is one of the company’s initiatives to reduce the use of dams in its operations in Minas Gerais. The material can replace natural sand, extracted from river beds, with a wide application in the civil construction market.

Jean Menezes, Operations Manager of the Viga mine plant, said: “Due to the geological characteristics of the mine and the mineral processing technology applied, we developed a coarser sand, with low presence of fine particles in the material, and high purity content, having in its composition between 89% and 98% silica and less than 7% iron.”

The company is already conducting tests of the material with concrete and mortar producers in the Southeast Region, with the Sustainable Sand flowing between the production site and the clients by rail, taking advantage of the existing logistics at the site.

The Viga mine is Vale’s second unit to manufacture Sustainable Sand on an industrial scale, following the same quality controls as for iron ore production. The first was the Brucutu mine, in São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Minas Gerais, which processed 250,000 t of the material last year. The company’s projection is to produce 1 Mt of Sustainable Sand this year, before doubling the volume in 2023.

Each tonne of sand produced represents one tonne less of tailings being placed in piles or dams, Vale says.

Another initiative adopted by Vale to reduce its dependence on dams, and which also favours the production of Sustainable Sand at the mines, is the tailings filtration system. The technology reduces the moisture of the tailings, enabling both dry stacking of the material and the manufacture of sand for the market. Four tailings filtration plants have been implemented in Minas Gerais – one in the Vargem Grande Complex (in 2021), two in the Itabira Complex (between 2021 and 2022) and one in the Brucutu Mine (in 2022).

Vale has already invested more than BRL50 million ($9.7 million) and established partnerships with more than 40 organisations, including universities, research centres and domestic and foreign companies to study applications for material from iron ore processing. The objective is to make Vale’s operations safer and more sustainable, promoting the circular economy and benefiting society.

In March this year, the first road in Brazil to use Vale’s Sustainable Sand in all four layers of pavement was inaugurated. The 425-m-long track at Cauê mine, in Itabira, will be monitored for two years with 96 pressure, temperature, deformation and humidity sensors. Tests carried out during five years in the laboratory indicated that the increase in useful life is of the order of 50% and the cost reduction is 20% when compared with materials more commonly used for road construction, such as sand extracted from the environment. In addition, each kilometer of pavement can consume up to 7,000 t of tailings.

In April 2022, a study released by the University of Queensland (UQ), through its Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), the University of Geneva (Unige) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) pointed out that the sand from the iron ore production process, called “ore-sand”, can contribute to solve two important environmental issues by reducing both the extraction of natural sand from the environment and the generation of mining waste.

Vale given the go ahead to start Capanema iron ore construction

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Vale says it has received the required licences to start construction of the Capanema iron ore project in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The project involves the development of the Capanema mine, acquisiion of new equipment, implementation of a long-distance 2.4 km conveyor belt (TCLD, pictured) and adjustments in the Timbopeba stockyards. This is expected to amount to multi-year investments of $495 million.

With the start-up expected for the second half of 2023, the project will have a production capacity by natural moisture (without tailings generation) of 18 Mt/y and, in the first years, will bring a net addition of 14 Mt/y of capacity to Vale with the “expedition” through the Timbopeba site, Vale said.

The start of the construction works of Capanema marks another important step in productive capacity buffers creation, ensuring greater operational flexibility with low capital intensity, Vale said.

Vale has previously identified that Capanema could be one of its new operations to use “dry processing” techniques.

Phibion brings AMC tailings management approach to Brazil

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Phibion has stepped up efforts to bring its accelerated mechanical consolidation (AMC) technology to Brazil, having recently opened an office in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.

The Phibion Brasil Tecnologia e Inovação em Mineração Ltda office complements the company’s recent expansion into the Latin America market, it said.

Phibion explained the rationale for the move: “Recent catastrophic failures in associated tailings dams have highlighted the critical need for innovative and cost-effective technologies that can recover residual processing water from the tailings coupled with improvements in tailings density and strength.

“Remaining with conventional technology or trying to adopt cost-prohibitive technologies is not an option. Collectively, the mining industry, the regulators and the people of Brazil demand a new approach.”

Phibion thinks its AMC technology can help. AMC is a systematic and low energy tailings management approach that can reduce tailings volumes and deliver enhanced water recovery with the associated benefits of increased tailings density and strength, according to the company.

Phibion’s Global Business Development Manager, Marco Miranda, guides Phibion’s operation in Latin America and is now based out of the Belo Horizonte office.

Back in October, Phibion announced it was opening an office in Santiago, Chile, to service the rapidly growing mining and tailings management opportunities in Latin America.

Vale evaluating wet tailings processing alternatives at Brucutu iron ore mine

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Vale says it is evaluating short-term alternatives to the wet processing of tailings at its Brucutu iron ore mine, in Brazil, as it looks to step up processing activities at the Minas Gerais operation.

The Brucutu plant, which used to dispose of tailings in the Norte/Laranjeiras dam – that has been at “emergency level 1” since December 2, 2019 – is continuing to operate at around 40% of its capacity through wet processing and tailings filtration, Vale noted.

Yet, the miner said it was evaluating “short-term alternatives” for tailings disposal, such as the optimised use of the Sul dam. These options are being tested by geotechnical and operational teams and may increase Brucutu plant’s processing capacity to 80%, Vale noted.

It warned that, if such alternatives for tailings disposal or the reclassification of the emergency level for Norte/Laranjeiras dam are not achieved until the end of the June quarter, there will “likely be an impact on the 2020 annual iron ore fines production volume”.

Vale took the decision to temporarily suspend the disposal of tailings at the Laranjeiras dam, part of the Brucutu iron ore mine, while assessing the dam’s geotechnical characteristics, back in December. During the shutdown, the dam will have the Level 1 emergency protocol adopted, Vale said. At that point, Vale put the suspension period at one-to-two months.

At the same time, the company reiterated its plans to continue to invest in dry stacking technologies to reduce its exposure to wet tailings dams.

Cat 7495 electric rope shovel on its way to Kinross Gold’s Paracatu mine

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A Cat 7495 electric rope shovel originally built in 2012 is on its way to Kinross Gold’s Paracatu gold mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Paracatu, an open-pit mine with ore processed in ball and SAG mills, is Brazil’s largest gold mine, according to Kinross. It achieved record annual production of 619,563 gold-equivalent ounces in 2019, surpassing its 2018 record.

Kinross started an asset optimisation program in 2018, which completed in late 2019 with the successful implementation of a grade control program that led to better characterisation of the orebody, an improved ability to predict and react to ore variability, and better mill efficiency with improvements in throughput and recovery, it said.

Cat said the shovel’s ballast box and revolving frame left Green Valley, Arizona, USA, last week on two heavy haul trucks – one pulling and one pushing the 120 t load. At 61 m long and 5 m wide, the load is being escorted by a team responsible for removing and replacing power lines, traffic signals and signage along the way, it said.

Late last year, Cat updated the AC electric drive system for Cat 7495 and 7495 HF electric rope shovels to, it said, deliver even greater reliability, improved maintenance access, enhanced safety and an expanded ability to perform at high altitudes and in extreme temperatures.

Back in 2018, Kinross welcomed its second Cat 7495 electric rope shovel to its Round Mountain mine, in Nevada, as part of its Phase W expansion plan.

Vale and BHP cleared for Samarco iron ore restart

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Vale says its joint venture Samarco Mineração SA division has been given clearance to restart operating activities at its Germano Complex, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, some four years after a dam collapse shuttered the operation.

Vale said the division, owned 50:50 by it and BHP, had received the Corrective Operation License (LOC) for its operating activities in the complex, adding that the licence was approved by the Mining Activities Chamber (CMI) of the State Council for Environmental Policy (COPAM).

Following this authorisation, Samarco has now obtained all environmental licences required to restart its operations.

Samarco is due to restart its operations using dry stacking technologies that, Vale says, will reduce the risk of such an accident happening again.

“For this reason, the operational restart of iron ore extraction and beneficiation plants in Germano and the pelletisation plant in the Ubu Complex, located in Anchieta, state of Espírito Santo, will only occur after the implementation of a filtration system, which construction is expected to take around 12 months,” Vale said. During this period, Samarco will continue operational readiness activities including equipment maintenance.

Following the implementation of the filtration process, and subject to shareholder approval, Samarco currently expects to restart its operations around the end of 2020, Vale says.

With the filtration process, Samarco expects to be able to substantially dewater sand tailings, which represents 80% of total tailings by volume, and stack these filtered tailings safely. The remaining 20% of tailings will be deposited in Alegria Sul pit, a bedrock self-contained structure, to increase safety. Alegria Sul pit preparation works began in October 2018 and were concluded this month.

Following changes to the environmental and regulatory frameworks for mining in Brazil in 2019, Samarco adjusted its mining and tailings disposal assumptions, including a reduction in the capacity of the Alegria Sul pit, so tailings would be confined to the self-contained area. This also led to a reduction in the capacity to store filtered tailings due to the classification of the Germano pit as a dam, which will now be decommissioned in accordance with the regulation.

The above-mentioned changes to regulatory and tailings disposal assumptions materially impact the expected ramp up of Samarco operations given a range of factors, including but not limited to the completion of additional licensing processes and the development of additional tailings disposal sites, the company said.

Samarco expects to be able to restart operations through one concentrator and produce some 7-8 Mt/y following the installation of the filtration technology.

A second concentrator could be restarted in around six years to reach a range production of 14-16 Mt/y, while the restart of the third concentrator could happen in around 10 years after the issuance of the LOC, when Samarco expects to reach annual production volume in a range of approximately 22-24 Mt/y, it said.

Autonomous haul trucks coming to Vale’s Carajás iron ore mine

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Vale says it is to start trialling autonomous haulage at its Carajás mine in Pará, Brazil, following a successful deployment at its Brucutu iron ore mine in Minas Gerais.

The company plans to run both autonomous and manned trucks at the operation, the world’s largest open-pit iron ore mine, it said.

Completion of the autonomous testing phase is planned to June 2020, when the autonomous vehicles begin to operate. The number of autonomous vehicles will increase year by year and, depending on the test results, may reach 37 in 2024.

This year, the company’s Brucutu iron ore mine began operating exclusively with autonomous haul trucks. Thirteen Caterpillar 240 ton (218 t) 793F CMD fully autonomous trucks, managed using the Cat autonomous haulage system, Command for hauling, part of its MineStar™ suite of technology products, are now running, after the company equipped seven trucks with this technology in 2018.

Combined with a staff development and training plan at Carajás, the autonomous innovation aims to increase the safety of operations, in addition to generating environmental benefits and a competitive edge, Vale said.

Two autonomous trucks are expected to start the testing phase in an isolated area of Carajás mine by the end of November, but training of the operators began in October. In addition to autonomous haulage, three autonomous drills started operating in the mine last year, Vale said.

Vale explained: “In an autonomous operation, trucks are controlled by computer systems, GPS, radar, and artificial intelligence, and monitored by operators in control rooms located miles away from the operations, providing more safety for the activity. When risks are detected, the equipment shuts down until the path is cleared. Sensors of the safety system can detect larger objects, such as large rocks and other trucks, as well as people near the roads.”

Compared with conventional transport, productivity of the autonomous operation system is higher, according to Vale. “Based on the technology market data, Vale expects to increase the useful life of equipment by 15%. Fuel consumption and maintenance costs are also estimated to be reduced by 10%, and the average speed for trucks will increase,” it said.

Autonomous operation also brings important environmental benefits. The reduced consumption of fuel by the machines results in a lower volume of CO2 and particulate matter emissions and less waste, such as parts, tyres and lubricants.

According to Antonio Padovezi, North Corridor Director for Vale, in addition to the safety factor, the use of autonomous equipment in Carajás will ensure greater sustainability for Brazilian mining. “It is another breakthrough with great economic, environmental, and social gains. It reduces employees’ exposure to risks, increases competitiveness, reduces emission of polluting gases and promotes professional training and development, following a natural trend experienced today in the market worldwide,” Padovezi said.

Implementation of the autonomous operation is combined with a staff development plan, which includes creation of a training centre in the city of Parauapebas by the supplying company. The plan is along the lines of Brucutu, where all conventional truck operators will be reassigned to other activities. At Brucutu, part of the team is managing and controlling the autonomous equipment while another part is taking on new “automation-related tasks”. Some employees have been reallocated to other areas.

Vale is deploying a digital transformation program as part of its Industry 4.0 developments.

This has allowed the company to increase productivity, operational efficiency, and safety, in addition to improving its financial performance and driving innovation, the company said.

Technological innovations developed by the company include the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, mobile applications, robotisation, and autonomous equipment (such as trucks and drills).

The program will also support the strategic pillars presented by Vale this year – improve the company’s operational approach to safety and operational excellence as well as bring a positive impact to society, becoming a development facilitator for the areas in which it operates while promoting a safer and more sustainable industry, Vale said.