Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) through its mining subsidiary, CSN Mineração, has unveiled details of a $346.1 million (BRL 1.3 billion) mining project it plans to build in Minas Gerais state.
According to an environmental impact study obtained by SteelOrbis, the so-called “Itabirito” plant will have a 10 million mt/year pellet feed capacity. Itabirites are banded hematite-silica rocks that can be used to produce steel.
CSN will employ about 1,300 workers during the project’s implementation phase and an additional 402 employees during the plant’s operation.
The Itabirito plant will be installed out of CSN’s existing Casa de Pedra iron ore mine, which has a 30 million mt/year iron ore capacity. The Itabirito plant will produce pellet feed of a 68 percent content Fe.
CSN estimated it would take 20 months to commence operations at the new plant. As previously anticipated by SteelOrbis, CSN had first forecasted the start-up of the additional mining plant by 2021.
In the document, CSN said the “itabirite” plant should start up by Q3 of the “second year” of its implementation, after the company gets all needed licenses. However, it hasn’t set a specific timeline for completing the project.
In the environmental impact study, CSN said the new “itabirite” plant will allow CSN Mineração to use “poorer” quality iron ore, so the company can further improve the lifetime of its Casa de Pedra mine, while also reducing iron ore waste.