Brazilian iron ore miner Vale plans to eliminate water use in the processing of iron ore at its Carajás mines, the world’s largest open-pit iron ore mining area, by 2027, according to local media reports.
By fully switching to the dry processing method, the company would eliminate the generation of tailings and the need for new dams to store it, thereby cutting costs and making operations safer and more competitive. Currently, 90 percent of its Northern System operations use the same method, and the entire system will also run entirely on natural moisture by 2027.
Meanwhile, Vale expects that its Gelado project, which produces high-quality pellet feed by reusing tailings at the Gelado dam, will double its production to around 5 million mt in 2026 and 6 million mt in 2027.