Samarco breaks monthly world record in iron ore pellet production
Samarco Mineração S.A. has set a monthly production record during August 2023 of 824,829 tonnes of high-grade pellets in a single pelletizing line with its 816 m2 Metso Pelletizing Plant Indurating Machine #4 at its Ubu site in Brazil. At an annual level, the production is equivalent to approximately 8.8 to 9.0 Mtpa of pellets in a single machine. Samarco has installed three additional Metso Pelletizing Plants at its Ubu site.
“We’re very excited to see Samarco breaking their monthly iron ore pellet production record and would like to congratulate the whole team for this great achievement. It makes us proud to see how our solutions are helping our customers improve their pelletizing operations while simultaneously supporting the journey toward decarbonization,” says Pedro Sousa, Sales Manager, Ferrous & Heat Transfer, South America.
Currently, only the Plant #4 is in operation, and Samarco and Metso are discussing the revamp of the three other plants to continue increasing pellet production and decarbonizing the steel industry processes using sustainable technologies according to Samarco’s gradual production revamp plan. Related test works and studies are currently being performed at Metso’s R&D facility in Frankfurt, Germany.
Metso’s traveling grate pelletizing process produces uniform pellets, ensuring high performance and quality with low investment and operating costs, as well as decreased energy consumption and emissions.
Samarco, a privately owned company operating in the mining sector, is a joint venture owned by Vale and BHP. Samarco’s principal place of business is in Belo Horizonte (MG), and they have units operating in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The company’s main product is iron ore pellets, the raw material for steel production.
