Circular Mining: The reuse of tailings generated for sand production
ABOUT IT
Reusing the tailings generated by the iron ore production process to produce sand contributes to circular mining, aimed at reducing waste and reusing materials. Vale contributed to the study carried out by the University of Queensland and the University of Geneva, which proved the potential of sand from the iron ore production process as one of the sustainable alternatives to predatory sand extraction in riverbeds. With this in mind, Vale has expanded its Brucutu and Viga operations in Minas Gerais, which have used tons of sand for both internal applications and sale focusing on construction.
Results and Objectives
In 2021, Vale began marketing the sand produced at the Brucutu mine, a material with quality certified by specialized laboratories. That year, 225,000 tons of sand were destined for various applications, such as concrete, mortar, precast, artifacts, cement and road paving. Each ton of sand produced represents one less ton of waste being disposed of in piles or dams.
In 2022, Vale expanded its sand operations, allocating 530,000 tons from mines such as Brucutu and Viga for internal applications and sale, resulting in several commercial sand contracts.
In 2022, progress was also made in relation to circular mining in base metal operations, such as the use of 360t of nickel from ore tailings, reprocessing of 5kt of copper taken from Thompson precipitates and recycling of 2kt of nickel from slag.
SDGs
12. Responsible consumption and production , 17. Partnerships and means of implementation , 9. Industry innovation and infrastructure
External Certification
Não
International Commitments
National Commitments
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