The
iron ore output of the world's largest
iron ore miner,
Brazil's
Vale, in the first quarter of 2010 amounted to 69.06 million metric tons, increasing by 42.9 percent year on year and up 8.9 percent compared to the last quarter of 2009, backed by the rise in global demand for
iron ore. However, due to the rainy season in
Brazil, from where all the company's
iron ore output is sourced, the first quarter pace of
production is seasonally weak, being in general the weakest quarter of the year.
Meanwhile, in the first three months of this year,
Vale's pellet output came to 10.49 million metric tons, climbing by 263,7 percent year on year and up 19.9 percent quarter on quarter, including 7.1 million metric tons of blast furnace pellets and 3.4 million metric tons of direct reduction pellets. The company's Fábrica pellet plant resumed operations in February this year, while São Luis was restarted in early March. Currently, all the seven Tubarão plants, Vargem Grande, São Luís and Fábrica are operating, totaling an annual nominal capacity of 48 million metric tons. The three pellet plants of its 50 percent-owned affiliate Samarco are also operating, with an annual nominal capacity of 21 million metric tons.
Currently,
Vale is building two new plants, Oman and Tubarão VIII, which will add 16.5 million metric tons to its capacity. The Oman pellet plant start-up is planned for the second half of this year, with total
production capacity of 9 million metric tons of direct reduction pellets.
In the given period,
Vale's metallurgical coal
production grew 40.3 percent year on year and by 8.8 percent quarter on quarter, reaching 717,000 metric tons.
In the first quarter,
Vale's manganese ore output rose 252.5 percent year on year to 397,000 metric tons - down 27.2 percent, while its ferroalloy
production stood at 110,000 metric tons, up 128 percent year on year and up 24.8 percent quarter on quarter, including 61,000 mt ferrosilicon manganese
alloys, 44,000 mt of high carbon manganese
alloys and 5,000 mt of medium carbon manganese
alloys.
In the January-March period of this year,
Vale produced 33,000 metric tons of nickel, declining by 49.8 percent year on year and up 10 percent compared to the last quarter of 2009.