Capanema
Mining
Type
Operating
Status
🇧🇷 Brazil, Minas Gerais (Quadrilátero FerrĂfero)
Country
Project information
As at 31 December 2025
Aggregation level:
Asset
Aggregation level:
Asset
Report standard:
Sec S K 1300
Report standard:
Sec S K 1300
Ownership %:
100
Ownership %:
100
Operator:
Yes
Operator:
Yes
Extraction:
Open Pit
Extraction:
Open Pit
Description
As at 31 December 2025
Vale opened the Capanema mine in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais in 2025, marking a new phase of mining in the state. USD 12 B investment to 2030 with USD 930 M for reactivation (idle for 22 years). Capanema operates on natural-moisture processing — no water in mineral processing, no tailings, no tailings dam. Capacity ~15 Mtpa of iron ore. First shipment in 2025; full ramp-up expected H1 2026. Includes five autonomous off-highway trucks and circular-mining solutions (recovery of iron ore from waste piles). Employs ~800 people post-construction.
Mining metrics
Multiple effective dates
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