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    Advancing a circular economy 

    The circular economy is set to replace the linear model of extract, produce and dispose, which is reaching its tipping point. More than just recycling materials at the end of their useful life, the circular economy is about reimagining the way products are designed, manufactured, and marketed so they generate less waste throughout their lifecycle, are more durable and can be repurposed. Advancing a circular economy will be key to solving issues such as global warming, material shortages and waste management.
    Vale's Archive

    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. 

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    Waste to Value Program

    Vale is taking a multipronged approach to minimizing waste in our iron ore operations. This approach, as articulated in our Waste to Value program, is aligned with our corporate strategy for sustainable mining and positioning as a premium iron supplier. Our aim is to progressively realize this vision over the next decade by maximizing value from natural resources—such as through repurposing materials from tailings piles and dams—while concurrently reducing waste rock and tailings generation in mining and processing operations. In doing so, we are delivering on our commitment to sustainability through practical solutions that contribute to the development of the regions where we operate. 
    Vale's Archive

    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$ 428 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.

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