Brazilian miner Vale has disclosed to the country's securities regulator, CVM, details of its planned acquisition of a 30 percent minority ownership stake in Ligga, which operates the Ferro Sul mine in the municipalities of Parauapebas and Curionópolis, in the Carajás region of Pará state. The transaction remains subject to customary corporate and regulatory approvals.
The mine currently has capacity of approximately 2 million metric tons (mt) of iron ore per year, and an expansion plan aims to raise that total to 8 million mt per year.
The expansion is scheduled to come online in June 2028 and includes a new processing plant, infrastructure works and a rail logistics solution.
The deal also includes a long-term offtake agreement under which Vale will buy, on an exclusive basis, 100 percent of the sinter feed produced by Ligga.
According to Vale, the agreement secures long-term access to additional volumes of good-quality iron ore and adds flexibility to its Northern System portfolio, with lower capital intensity and integration into existing logistics infrastructure.
Output will be shipped via the Carajás Railway to the Ponta da Madeira port in São Luís, Maranhão state.
Vale produced 336 million mt of iron ore in 2025, regaining its position as the world's largest iron ore producer.
