Water and effluents - ESG
Water and effluents
Water
Effluents
KPIs Report
Water Volume and percentage and water stress level (in millions of m³) -2021
|
North America and Europe
|
South America
|
Africa, Asia and Oceania
|
Total
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Volume
(million of m³) |
%
|
Volume
(million of m³) |
%
|
Volume
(milhões de m³) |
%
|
Volume
(million of m³) |
%
|
|
|
Total
|
34
|
62
|
22
|
118
|
||||
|
Low
|
34
|
100%
|
42
|
68%
|
20
|
91%
|
96
|
81%
|
|
Low to medium
|
0
|
0%
|
17
|
27%
|
0
|
0%
|
17
|
14%
|
|
Medium to high
|
0
|
0%
|
3
|
5%
|
0
|
0%
|
3
|
3%
|
|
High
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
2
|
9%
|
2
|
2%
|
|
Extremely High
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
Distribution of the total volume of fresh water withdrawal by regions according to water risk (2022)
Hydric balance -2022
Performance evolution
Water
Total demand
Water withdrawal for Vale’s production processes
Effluents
In 2022, Vale maintained its water reuse rate at the levels of the las few years, at 80%. In its management strategy, Vale understands that this is a way to reduce fresh water withdrawal.
In 2022, 40.3 million m³ of effluents were discharged, considering the high and low quality standards adopted by mining¹.
1 Standards adopted by mining for effluent quality (ICMM):
- High quality: total Dissolved Solids < 5,000mg/l and pH between 4 and 10 and without compounds in a concentration harmful to human health.
- Low quality: Total Dissolved Solid > 5,000mg/l or pH < 4 or > 10 or have compounds in a concentration harmful to human health
Goals, Deadlines and Control
The Water Target set in the year 2018 had a commitment to reduce freshwater withdrawal for use in our production processes. The goal was to reduce 10% of specific use for 2017 by 2030 (fresh water withdrawal and used in processes per ton produced), which means lower volume of new water captured for the same production volume. Throughout 2021 the accumulated results exceeded the established goal.
We will release the new target in 2023, with a horizon of 2030. The new goal will broaden the scope beyond specific internal uses and consider local aspects related to availability, quality, access to water, and the ecological health of the watersheds where we operate. For this, we adopted Indicator 6.4.2 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda as a base point. This indicator shows whether water stress exists in the analyzed watershed. Vale analyzed our entire area of influence – into the sub-basins where we operate. The outcomes of this analysis will then be used to implemented specific regional actions.
Beyond the target, we invest in the continuous improvement of water resource management to adhere ICMM's principles. All of these strategies are aligned with the Structuring Plan, which is the basis of the Target Water program . Thus, among our main commitments related to the water resource management are:
Impact Management
Tailings Retention Measures
Five days after the breach of Dam I, Vale presented to the Public Prosecutor's Office and to environmental agencies a plan for action in three sections along the Paraopeba River, with an emergency-level urgency: Stretch 1 –Up to 10 km from the site of the dam breach: considering the strategic geographic position to optimize tailings containment in the Ferro-Carvão Stream, located downstream of the dam breach and to avoid material input to the Paraopeba River, we plan to construct containment structures, such as rockfill dikes, hydraulic barriers and a metal curtain, as well as to install a Fluvial Water Treatment Plant in the Ferro-Carvão Stream, with the capacity to treat approximately 2 million liters per hour, already in operation.
A 50-meter metal and concrete bridge was built to restore access to the communities of the Parque da Cachoeira and Córrego do Feijão to the central area of Brumadinho. The bridge allows dual-vehicle traffic and includes pedestrian walkways.
Policies and Procedures
Our Sustainability Policy sets out the guidelines and principles for sustainability in our projects and operations, spelling out our commitment to life first and our social, environmental and economic responsibility. The implementation of these principles and guidelines will take place from three dimensions: Sustainable Operator, related to the responsible performance throughout the life cycle of our projects; Local Development Catalyst, focused on collaboration with the socioeconomic and environmental development of the territories where we operate, with the establishment of intersectoral partnerships with the aim of leaving a positive legacy; and Global Sustainability Agent, which forsees our contribution to dialogue and the search for solutions to sustainable development challenges shared by various regions and countries in which we operate.
Risks Overview
The Aqueduct tool, developed by the WRI (World Resources Institute), assists us in assessing water stress, which provides a global view of the regions most susceptible to fluvial and coastal flooding, the severity of droughts, the seasonal and interannual water variability, as well as its scarcity. Based on this tool, it is possible to correlate the use of water of our operational units with the degree of risk indicated.
The accuracy of the databases to generate these global assessments has increased substantially in recent years and is continually improving, however, it is necessary to verify and complement these assessments considering the knowledge and perceptions of local operational water risks, their possible impacts and mitigations' actions. In this sense, in 2020 we started applying a water risk sensitivity analysis methodology for each operational unit, that is, the local scale of physical risks and internal technical criteria.
This methodology was applied in 46 operational units considering the following physical risks: floods, conflict over use, supply and droughts. It is noteworthy that an operational unit may be exposed to more than one physical risk and the results of this methodology are presented below, indicating the general result as well as for each of the types of physical risks considered.
Water Risk Sensitivity
The process of mapping and managing water risks and impacts is continuous and should refer to the water catchment where we operate and that we have influence. Thus, it is necessary to promote the continuous improvement of our water risk assessment processes with focus on potential physical, regulatory and reputation impacts, climate change interference and the multiple use of water, considering the physical, biotic, economic, social diversity and cultural aspects of the different regions. Once risks are identified and mapped, it is mandatory to establish, monitor and execute action plans prioritizing their mitigation.
Vale's water risk management actions and initiatives has a local and global nature, and involves the review and improvement of governance processes, establishment of new policies, HIRA application and updating of the units' master plans, in addition to alignment with the established principles by ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metal).
Perspectives
In addition to the main goal of Target Water, the program also invests in the continuous improvement of water resource management to adhere ICMM’s principles.
In 2018, Vale established the 2030 Water Goal to reduce the specific use of water by 10% (base year 2017). By 2021, it had achieved an 20.0% reduction, surpassing the goal.
Among the main water resources management initiatives, we can highlight:
Technical Knowledge - Innovation and R&D:
Continuous and online water quality monitoring system (metals), analysis (Vale Technological Development and Sustainability Institute).
Development of equipment for continuous monitoring of water quality through sponsorship and participation in startup (Mining HUB, Brazilian Mining Institute).
Technical Knowledge - Management and monitoring
Expansion and improvement of the quantitative monitoring network, with electromagnetic meters, river stations and data transmission in real time.
Expansion of the water resource data management system in the operational units.
Governance - Standards and processes
Preparation and disclosure of the Water and Water Resources Policy.
Adequacy of the Global Internal Standard for the Management of Water Resources and Effluents to the guidelines of the ICMM.
Verification of the adherence of the operating units in Brazil to the Global Internal Standard for the Management of Water and Effluent Resources.
Institution of the Water Resources Forum.
Institution of the Water Resources Forum.
Analysis of water risks and sensitivity to operations.
Responsible Management Strategy.
Dry Processing
The company has planned to significantly reduce the use of dams and will invest in solutions to replace wet processing with safer and more sustainable processes. This is the case of dry processing, which will reach 70% of our iron ore production by 2024. Regarding the rest of the wet production, 16 percentage points will use the dry filtering and stacking system for tailings treatment, which will require approximately USD 2.3 billion by 2025. The system is being implemented at the Vargem Grande, Itabira and Brucutu complexes, contributing to less dependence on the use of tailings dams.
Vale also plans to increase the development of new technologies, such as dry magnetic separation of iron ore, made possible by the New Steel acquisition in 2018, currently at the testing phase. The treatment plants in Serra Leste, in Curionópolis and S11D, in Canaã dos Carajpas, also do not use water to ore treatment.
Dry Processing
Vale Brazil
In S11D, for example, using the natural moisture procesing route reduces water consumption by 93% compared to a conventional iron ore production project. The water conserved equals the annual supply for a city of 400,000 inhabitants. In Minas Gerais, dry processing was expanded from 20% (2016) to 32% (2019). Today, this type of processing is present in several units, such as Brucutu, Alegria, Fábrica Nova, Fazendão, Abóboras, Mutuca and Pico.