The Brazilian iron ore and pellet producer, Samarco, has been granted permission to resume full operational capacity following the disruption caused by the Fundão Dam collapse in 2015.
Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP, received this license from the environmental authorities of the Minas Gerais state. This approval enables the company to achieve its production goal of 30 million mt per year, with completion anticipated by 2028.
Preliminary estimates suggest an investment requirement of $2.4 billion. However, Samarco is currently reviewing these figures for the long-term project, with final numbers expected by the end of 2025. The license includes authorization for the development of two new mining areas within the Germano Mining Complex in Mariana, Minas Gerais, as well as the establishment of two new waste piles.
Samarco is presently operating at 60 percent of its capacity, having produced 3.2 million mt during the first quarter of 2025—the highest quarterly output since resuming operations in 2020.