Accelerating Sustainable Mining and Energy Transition – Vale’s Investment in Novo Carajás Program

In celebration of 40 years of operations in the Amazon region, Vale has unveiled the Novo Carajás Program, a bold initiative focused on sustaining iron ore production and expanding copper output in Pará.

Key information

The program was announced at a ceremony with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on February 14 in Parauapebas. This transformative program represents a R$70 billion investment (2025-2030) in Carajás, a region critical to global decarbonization and energy transition efforts.

Iron and Copper production

According to it  the Carajás iron ore production should reach 200 Mtpa by 2030, bolstered by the Serra Sul mine expansion and depleting mine replacements. The copper output is projected to grow 32%, reaching 350 Kt annually.

The exploitation will be followed by the dry mining processes to protect forests and circular mining initiatives like the Gelado project aim for 10% of iron ore from tailings reuse by 2030.

The economic impact of the initiative will result in the Pará’s GDP boost by R$80-100 billion per year as well as in the addition of R$15 billion to Pará’s exports annually.

Pivotal role

CEO Gustavo Pimenta emphasizes Vale’s pivotal role in positioning Brazil as a global leader in critical minerals. From high-quality iron ore enhancing blast furnace efficiency to nickel and copper powering electric vehicles, Novo Carajás underlines Vale’s commitment to a low-carbon economy. He has stated: “Carajás is a successful case of a public-private partnership aimed at protecting the forest where we produce, with dry mining processes and innovative technologies, around 60% of the ore that Brazil exports (…) The Novo Carajás Program brings gains for Brazil, with the potential to position the country as a global leader in the supply of critical minerals and to strengthen its role in fighting climate change, and for Vale, by expanding a business front that generates value and leverages strategic market opportunities for the company in an economy based on the low-carbon industry.”

Suistanaible

The program will be followed by the protection of  800,000 hectares of Carajás forests in partnership with ICMBio and advancing Amazonian bioeconomy projects and biodiversity genomics.