Vale Mining Begins Expansion of Sustainable Sand Production at Viga Mine to Attract Sustainability in the Industrial Sector

After the Start of the Sustainable Sand Production Phase at the Viga Mine, in the Minas Gerais Region, the Mining Company Vale Now Moves on to Testing the Use of the Product in Place of Natural Sand, Ensuring Greater Sustainability for the Sector.

The mining company Vale is fully engaged in its plan to expand the production of sustainable sand at the Viga mine, located in the Congonhas region of the state of Minas Gerais. This is one of the company’s alternatives to enhance ESG practices in the mining sector and the industry, ensuring a reduction of environmental impacts by replacing natural sand.

The Start of Sustainable Sand Production at the Viga Mine Took Place at the Beginning of the Second Semester by the Mining Company Vale, Which is Currently Expanding Operations 

Aiming to give more visibility to ESG practices in the mining sector and their application in the industrial sector, the mining company Vale began the production of its sustainable sand at the Viga mine at the very beginning of the second semester of this year 2022.

The processing capacity of the facility is 200 thousand tons of the input per year, and the company is now redirecting its investments to reach a production target of 80 thousand tons by the end of 2022, expanding to 185 thousand tons throughout 2023.

This product is obtained through the processing and treatment of iron ore waste and is one of the company’s major bets to ensure greater sustainability in the national mining sector, replacing the use of natural sand sourced from riverbeds and sea beds.

Thus, the operations manager of the Viga mine plant, Jean Menezes, commented, “Due to the geological characteristics of the mine and the applied mineral processing technology, we have developed a coarser sand with low presence of fine particles in the material, and high purity content, with a composition of 89% to 98% silica and less than 7% iron.”

The mining company Vale has already made progress in the sustainable sand project and has started the testing phase for the use of the sustainable sand produced at the Viga mine with concrete and mortar producers in the Southeast region. The sustainable sand is transported between states by railway, taking advantage of the existing logistics in the area. This transportation process is carried out through railways, and the sustainable sand can thus extend the sustainability of the mining company to other states outside of Minas Gerais. 

The Viga Mine is the Company’s Second Structure to Produce Sustainable Sand and Ensures a High Potential for Resource Exploration 

The Viga mine, located in the Congonhas region of the state of Minas Gerais, is the second production plant for sustainable sand of the mining company Vale in Brazil, adhering to the highest standards of quality and production efficiency.

In addition to this, the Brucutu mine in São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo is also producing the resource, processing 250 thousand tons of the material last year, a significant figure for the company’s operations. 

For the year 2022, Vale aims to reach the mark of 1 million tons of sustainable sand produced at the Brucutu mine, and following the expansion in 2023, the company hopes to double that final figure.

Each ton of sand produced represents one ton less of waste being disposed of in piles or dams, contributing to minimizing environmental impacts in national mining. 

Vale is now continuing to invest in expanding the production capacity of sustainable sand in the state of Minas Gerais and aims to make Brazilian mining increasingly committed to ESG practices and the global environmental agenda.