Vale announced on March 16 that the company has gradually started the operation of the tailings filtration plant in the Da Varjen integrated operation area. This is the first tailings filtration plant planned to open by Vale in Minas Gerais. According to the plan, Vale will invest a total of US$2.3 billion in the construction of a tailings filtration plant between 2020 and 2024.
It is understood that the use of a tailings filtration plant can not only reduce dependence on the dam, but also improve the average grade of Vale’s product portfolio through wet beneficiation operations. After iron ore tailings are filtered, the water content can be reduced to a minimum, and most of the material in the tailings will be stored in solid form, thus reducing the dependence on the dam. Vale stated that the company plans to open the first filtration plant in the Itabira integrated operation area in 2021, and the second filtration plant in the Itabira integrated operation area and the first filtration plant in the Brucutu mining area in 2022. The four tailings filtration plants will provide services for a number of iron ore concentrators with a total production capacity of 64 million tons/year.
Vale announced in the “2020 Production and Sales Report” released on February 3, 2021 that in the third quarter of 2021, as the Miracle No. 3 mine dam is put into operation, the company will also restore 4 million tons of production capacity. It is in the final stage of construction. The tailings disposed of at the Miracle No. 3 dam will account for approximately 30% of all tailings generated during operations. The opening of the tailings filtration plant in the Davarren comprehensive operation area is another important progress Vale has made in stabilizing iron ore production and restoring its annual production capacity of 400 million tons by the end of 2022.