Brazilian miner and iron ore producer Vale said on Thursday it expects to produce a “green” briquette product that is made out of iron ore and a technological agglomerant solution.
The company said it will produce the product by 2023 out of its No. 1 and No. 2 pelletizing facilities at its Tubarao plant in Vitoria, Espirito Santo state, as well at its Vargem Grande Complex in Minas Gerais state. Vale said it is converting the Vitoria facilities to produce the product, and has invested $185 million to develop the product over a period of 20 years.
Vale expects to initially produce 7 million mt/year of the product. But it would then produce over 50 million mt/year of the product, helping it to further reduce emissions. The “green” briquette requires no burning, but instead, a dry process, which results in the use of less energy, Vale said.
Vale said the product is part of its strategy to reduce emissions. It reduces emissions of particulates and gases, such as sulphur dioxide (SOX) and nitrogen oxide (NOX), in addition to eliminating the use of water during its output.