Global mining company, Vale, has started up the Additional 40 project, with a new dry processing plant. This plant will expand the iron ore production at the mining complex in Carajás, Pará, by 40Mt per year. The project will permit a 35% expansion in output at Carajás Mine, which produced 110Mt in 2012.
The new plant is now at the ramp-up phase that involves a gradual increase in production. By the end of this year, it will be processing 4.9Mt of iron ore per month. The plant now needs to be monitored for making adjustments and corrections to guarantee that the plant is fully functioning. The plant is expected to be working at full capacity in the first half of 2014.
One of the distinctive aspects of the Additional 40 project is its use of innovative technologies, generating operational and environmental benefits. Most notably, the plant processes ore using its natural moisture rather than water. This technology enables lower energy and water consumption during processing and eliminates waste from the production process.
Producing millions of tonnes of iron ore every year, Carajás is the biggest open-pit mine in the world. Located inside Carajás National Forest, the mine’s four pits occupy just 3% of the forest’s total area.
