Smiling Vale employee wearing a white hard hat, dark safety glasses, and a respirator around his neck, with an industrial area in the background. The image reinforces the focus on safety and health in our mining operations.
Photo: Marcelo Coelho
Vale employee with traditional ethnic facial tattoos, wearing a white hard hat with a headlamp, safety glasses, and an orange operational uniform. The image illustrates the global diversity of our teams within our mining operations around the world.
Photo: Marcelo Coelho

Mining: an essential activity for the world’s evolution

Whether in home construction, healthcare innovations, new technologies, or the manufacturing of cars and appliances, minerals are present in the solutions that transform people's lives for the better.
Today, we are one of the world’s largest mining companies and a global leader in iron ore production. Discover each product and its unique facts below:

Iron ore and pellets

The essential raw material for steelmaking is found in nature and processed by Vale using high technology to supply the global steel industry.

Part of your daily life:

It is present in home construction, car manufacturing, home appliances, and large-scale infrastructure.

Highlights:

  • Carajás ore has a 67% iron content, considered the highest quality on the planet.
  •  In northern Brazil, our mines occupy only 3% of the Carajás National Forest. We protect the remaining 97% in partnership with environmental institutes.

Where we operate:

Brazil.

Piles of processed iron ore pellets, displaying small grey metallic discs ready to supply the steel industry. The image illustrates our mining operations and the essential product for steelmaking.

Photo: Vale's Archive

Nickel: the essential metal for the future

We produce nickel, a versatile metal fundamental to the energy transition. In addition to its traditional resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosion, nickel is now indispensable for the planet's electrification.

Part of your daily life:

It is a vital component for electric vehicle batteries, stainless steel alloys, and coins.

Highlights:

Our mines are rich sources of strategic minerals: by processing nickel, we also produce cobalt, copper, and precious metals.

Where we operate:

 Brazil and Canada.

A glass beaker labeled with the word NICKEL contains copper-colored metallic discs, surrounded by more discs on a table. The image illustrates our mining operations focused on producing essential metals for electrification and the energy transition.

Photo: Emanuel Silva

Copper

Of extreme importance to modern industry, copper is the metal of energy conduction. In addition to being 100% recyclable, its high thermal and electrical conductivity makes it an essential input for the energy transition and global decarbonization efforts.

Part of your daily life:

It is used in the generation and transmission of renewable energy (wind and solar), in home wiring, and in virtually all electronic devices, such as televisions and cell phones.

Highlights:

  • Copper is the third most used metal in the world, trailing only iron and aluminum.
  •  66% of global copper consumption is destined for electrical applications.

Where we operate:

Brazil and Canada.
A raw copper ore rock with irregular textures and dark reddish tones, isolated on a white background. The image illustrates our mining operations for extracting this essential metal for energy conduction and decarbonization.

Photo: Márcio Nagano

Foto de placeholder Foto de placeholder

Photographer: Ricardo Teles

Tablet

Emergency Action Plan for Mining Dams (PAEBM):

S11D: the future of mining and our largest complex

A global benchmark in technology and sustainability, S11D Eliezer Batista is our largest operating iron ore mine.

We utilize innovative systems, such as truckless technology, which reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Visit our Espaço Memória (Memory Space) and dive into the history and behind-the-scenes of this operation.

Vale employee wearing an orange vest, white hard hat, and ear protection, operating a radio communicator in front of the S11D Eliezer Batista complex. The image illustrates the use of advanced technology in our mining operations to reduce emissions. Vale employee wearing an orange vest, white hard hat, and ear protection, operating a radio communicator in front of the S11D Eliezer Batista complex. The image illustrates the use of advanced technology in our mining operations to reduce emissions. Photo: Felipe Borges
Onda