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MRN Celebrates 45 Years Consolidating Sustainable Mining in Western Pará, Promoting Reforestation of 7.5 Thousand Hectares and Income Generation and Education Programs.
MRN celebrates 45 years of operation, linking mining to sustainable development. On the milestone of the first bauxite shipment in Porto Trombetas, located in Western Pará, the corporation celebrates its achievements and remains vigilant to explore new opportunities.
In addition to its history, MRN highlights its initiatives in sustainable mining, ensuring the reforestation of 7.5 thousand hectares and the implementation of programs focused on income generation and education. The company’s commitment to responsible mineral extraction and environmental preservation strengthens with each passing year. The mining industry takes pride in the positive impact generated and continually seeks to innovate its practices. The focus on sustainable practices reaffirms MRN as a leader in the sector, always ready to contribute to socio-environmental progress.
Since the first bauxite shipment in 1979, exactly 45 years ago, in the district of Porto Trombetas, MRN has stood out for its ability to innovate and respect the cultural roots of local communities.
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History of Mining at MRN
With a constant concern for the environment and maintaining an open dialogue with residents, the company aligns itself with best practices that demonstrate its commitment to mining, increasingly sustainable in the Western Pará region. This journey, spanning more than four decades, has marked the lives of many people.
Among them is Denise Nunes, a department manager at MRN who arrived in the region in 1996. Originally from Salvador (BA), she emphasizes the professional evolution she achieved in the mining industry. ‘My biggest milestone was this cultural and regional break. Knowing the northern region of the country, which I had no idea how it would be, and today I can say that I do not regret anything.’
Testimonies of Life and Career
‘It is a great achievement to spend more than 26 years in a company that believed in my potential, from nutritionist to department manager,’ she commented. Denise’s journey resembles the paths taken by Dilson Castro Santos, with 42 years at MRN. He arrived in Porto Trombetas with his family in the late 1970s, as his parents worked at MRN.
After completing high school in Belém (PA), he was hired by the company in 1982 as an office assistant and has remained with the company to this day, now as a Control Operations Technician. ‘After having the opportunity to work at MRN as an office assistant, I started to aim for a position in the personnel department, and during that time, the company began to invest in curricular programs and I had the opportunity to take technical courses in management, safety, and even electrical studies. I am very grateful to God for having this chance.’
Commitment to Sustainable Mining
‘I saw the company grow with its structure and I feel grateful,’ he reports. For Guido Germani, President of MRN, testimonies like those of Denise and Dilson reflect the company’s commitment to good practices, sustainable development, and respect for people. ‘Our commitment is to a sustainable future, where mining respects the environment and values local communities. Celebrating 45 years with so many success stories in the region, enabling life changes for communities and employees, is witnessing the construction of an important legacy for the region.’
Socio-Environmental Initiatives of MRN
I can say that MRN has had several learnings over its 45 years, but we must always emphasize that true progress is only achieved when we integrate economic development, environmental preservation, and respect for people,’ he declares.
Development and income generation. With initiatives aligned with social and environmental responsibility, the company promotes a series of actions that provide development opportunities and strengthen relationships with communities.
Among them is the Socio-Environmental Education Program (PES), in compliance with the environmental conditions of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).
Education Programs for the Community
Comprising 11 distinct initiatives, the program is based on income generation, health promotion, education, culture, and the environment. Maria do Socorro Pereira, a resident of Lago Batata, is one of the participants in the activities. She is part of the Agro-Forestry Systems Support Project (SAFs), developed by MRN, which combines income generation and environmental preservation of the region.
From composting with the recycling of organic products to raising chickens and planting seedlings, there are various techniques she has learned during the ongoing activities, ensuring customers and income generation for the community.
Impact on Residents’ Lives
‘Each month I look forward to new courses and I am very happy to be here. The SAFs have brought several benefits, and with it, I can have orders for flour and I hope to gain new knowledge, and I am very happy to learn things I did not know before,’ she comments. Dirlene Meireles, a resident of the Bom Jesus Community, also participates in the SAF project and highlights the benefits that the activity has provided. ‘The SAFs came at an important time for me and my family. It is a wonderful project and everyone is satisfied because it is a learning process that motivates us. I will continue in the project, cultivating, raising, and I thank you for the opportunity. I am happy and reaping what I have sown,’ she states.
Education and Qualification
Not only through socio-environmental activities does the company serve the residents of neighboring communities to its operations. Over its 45 years, MRN has also facilitated professional qualification and access to quality education with initiatives that have empowered hundreds of quilombola families.
Through the Basic Education Support Program (PAEB), a student who enters elementary and middle school to continue their studies receives support at no cost: with school materials, transportation, and meals.
Support for Higher Education
The higher education student has access to the Higher Education Support Program (PAES), which guarantees a monthly financial aid scholarship, in addition to holiday travel expenses to visit family. Created in 1997, the PAEB offers, free of charge, full education, with school and educational materials, transportation, and meals.
PAES, in operation since 2000, provides all the necessary support to enter higher education, with scholarships for in-person or distance courses. In 2023, PAEB benefited 129 scholarship holders. Meanwhile, PAES offers 52 students the possibility of access to higher education and a new world of opportunities.
Continuing Education in the Amazon
The company also offers basic education and professional qualification in other locations through the Education for the Amazon Project. Established in 2022, the initiative offers courses focused on Elevation of Education Levels, Professional Qualification, and Free Courses.
Communities such as Lago do Ajudante, Abuí, Serrinha, and Boa Vista, part of Oriximiná, as well as rural communities from the municipalities of Faro and Terra Santa, have already benefited. Since its inception until the end of last year, 368 students participated in the program, spread across 28 classes, totaling 4,720 hours of coursework.
Professional Qualification and Opportunities
The company also offers professional courses to empower community members to qualify and have a chance to enter the job market, providing knowledge and practical experience in a cutting-edge industrial environment, facilitating the qualification of young individuals from communities close to MRN and opportunities for a promising career in mining.
‘Opportunities must be seized, and I want to grow, joining a company that recognizes me. Today, for women, it is very difficult to enter mining. I want to be seen and recognized one day,’ declares Gisele Ferreira, a resident of the Boa Vista Community, who participates in the heavy machinery operation course promoted by the company.
Mining and Sustainability
Demonstrating its commitment to environmental management and biodiversity conservation, MRN maintains the Reclamation Program for Mined Areas which has ensured the reforestation of approximately 7.5 thousand hectares over the 45 years of history through the planting of native species such as Andiroba, Brazil Nut, Copaíba, Cumaru, and Itaúba.
This initiative, which involves local communities and generates income while strengthening dialogue between residents and the company, demonstrates the success of sustainable mining practiced by MRN and enables the return of fauna and flora to the region.
Waste Management and Certification
In conjunction with environmental preservation, the company also maintains its commitment to actions that ensure the sustainable production of bauxite, such as solid waste management for industrial and urban waste and the monitoring of air, water, and noise. These actions guarantee that, since 2021, MRN has maintained the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification under the Performance and Chain of Custody Standards (CoC).
This certification confirms the company’s good management practices, based on the principles of ESG, which represent environmental, social, and corporate governance sustainability. The ASI certification is the only global voluntary sustainability initiative for the aluminum value chain, which includes the mineral extraction of bauxite.
Strategic Partnerships
Over its 45 years, MRN has consolidated partnerships with institutions that strengthen sustainable mining in the Amazon, such as the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL) and the Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM). ‘MRN’s story is also part of Brazil’s aluminum story. The company has shown an unwavering commitment to sustainable mining practices, caring for the environment and innovating in production processes. The collaboration between ABAL and MRN is marked by constant dialogue and the search for joint solutions to the sector’s challenges.’
Contribution to the Mining Industry
Among the main joint initiatives are the development of technical standards and the organization of events aimed at promoting the best practices in the aluminum industry,’ highlighted the Executive President of ABAL, Janaina Donas.
For Raul Jungmann, President of IBRAM, the existing partnership with MRN over the years has enabled a series of specialized services. ‘As a private, non-profit entity with voluntary membership, our main focus is to provide our members with essential tools and resources for their growth and productivity improvement.
MRN plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable mining in the Amazon, standing out as a significant example of commitment to good practices in the sector. By focusing on sustainable practices, MRN not only protects the Amazon environment but also promotes the well-being of local populations and demonstrates how mining can be conducted responsibly and beneficially for all involved,’ he comments.
Valorization of Local Labor
The valorization and development of regional labor have been principles of MRN since the beginning of its operations. Zilma Viana, who came from the Quilombola Serrinha Community, located in Alto Trombetas in 1978, closely follows this care for the local population. In 1990, she began working for a third-party company that, according to her, enabled her to fulfill her great dream: access to higher education. ‘I had the opportunity to qualify with technical and higher education courses. This was a moment that, due to my financial situation, I thought I would not achieve. It was here that I succeeded and received all possible support, and today I feel fulfilled,’ she recounts.
Recognition and Achievements
Testimonials like Zilma’s translate into achievements such as being, for the third consecutive time, one of the 50 best large companies to work for in the country, according to the Great Place To Work (GPTW) ranking.
Source: © tiago.furtado@temple.com.br
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