Brazilian miner and iron ore producer Vale has announced its operational results for 2021.
In the given year, the company produced 315.6 million mt of iron ore, up by five percent year on year, while its pellet production totaled 31.7 million mt in 2021, two million mt higher than 2020, as a result of the resumption of Vargem Grande pellet plant in January. In the full year, Vale’s sales volumes of iron ore and pellets totaled 309.8 million mt, increasing by nine percent year on year.
According to the company statement, Vale ended the year with an annual production capacity of around 340 million mt and expects to achieve annual 370 million mt by the end of 2022, after the ramp-up of the tailings filtration plants at Itabira and Brucutu sites.
In addition, the company’s coal production reached 8.5 million mt in 2021, 2.6 million mt higher than in 2020, driven by an improved performance in the second half of 2021.
Meanwhile, in December last year the company signed a binding agreement to sell its Moatize coal mine as well as its Nacala Logistics Corridor of Vulcan Minerals, a subsidiary of Jindal Group, for $270 million, as SteelOrbis previously reported.