Vale Base Metals Leads Global Critical Minerals Production
World leading mining company Vale Base Metals has been pioneering cleaner minerals for decades.
As one of the biggest producers of the critical minerals including nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals, Vale prioritises responsible sourcing to drive economic growth whilst accelerating the global energy transition.
The company is present globally with a people first ethos and a workforce of more than 125,000.
"2023 was a remarkable year for Vale,” shares Eduardo Bartolomeo, Chief Executive Officer.
“Our results translated the evolution of our safety-driven cultural transformation and our progress towards operational excellence. Regarding our Safety Journey, in 2023 we recorded the lowest injury frequency rate in our history. Our 2023 iron ore production at 321 Mt exceeded our guidance and provided evidence of increased asset and process reliability. In addition, we started up our 1st briquette plant and entered into a partnership with Anglo American in a world-class operation, important steps to support our strategy to grow with quality. In our path to transform the Energy Transition Metals business, copper production had an impressive 50% growth in the 4th quarter, while nickel production was in line with guidance. Regarding our commitments, 2023 saw substantial progress in the reparations of Brumadinho and Mariana.
“Finally, we remain focused on a disciplined capital allocation, consistently returning value to our shareholders, as evidenced by our recent dividend announcement. We have walked the talk, and I am excited that Vale is progressing towards achieving even greater performance levels.”
Sustainability focussed mining around the world
Vale has operations in four continents, over countries including Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan and the UK.
The company has three key sites in Brazil — Salobo Site, Sossego Site and Onça Puma Site. The Salobo Mine in Marabá, southeastern Pará, has reserves of 1.15 billion metric tons of copper ore and is classified as a world-class copper deposit. Vale’s oldest copper mine is Sossego, which opened in 2004, and is also a hub of sustainable mining as it reuses 99% of the water used in its production process, saving 900,000 cubic metres of water each year. Onça Puma is a nickel mine that opened in 2011 in Ourilândia do Norte, Pará.
Vale’s operations have been present in Canada for over a century where it produces, refines and distributes nickel, copper and cobalt. Vale’s Canadian mines, plants and offices are in Toronto, Mississauga, Sheridan Park, Sudbury, Port Colborne, Ontario, Thompson, Manitoba, and St. John's, Voisey’s Bay and Long Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Having begun exploration in the country in the 1920s, Vale is now one of Indonesia’s foremost nickel miners. The company has strong, long term commitments to positively contributing to Indonesia’s sustainable development, concreted by Vale’s title as Indonesia’s lowest carbon nickel mining company.
The Matsusaka Refinery in Japan processes nickel, cobalt and inorganic industrial chemical products, where Vale started operations in 1967. With a production capacity of 66,000 tonnes, it is the largest refinery in the country and one of the largest producers of nickel oxide sinter (NOS) in Asia.
One of the oldest and largest refineries in Europe — Clydach Nickel Refinery — began operations in the Welsh town in 1902. In 2006 Vale acquired Canadian mining company Inco and started to operate the refinery which is now responsible for refining nickel oxide produced by the Vale mines in Indonesia and Canada.
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