Vale more than doubled ore production from waste material in 2025
Brazilian mining company Vale said on Thursday it produced 26.3-million metric tons of iron ore in 2025 from materials previously classified as waste or tailings, more than double the 12.7-million tons produced this way a year earlier.
The volume exceeded the company's initial forecast of some 20-million tons of iron-ore from waste materials last year, Vale said.
Vale has been investing in circular mining, which has grown from a pilot project into an industrial-scale effort. Last year, the initiative cut waste disposal space by the equivalent of around 60 railcars loaded with iron-ore and contributed to the company's decarbonisation targets, Vale said.
The initiative is part of Vale's broader circular mining program, which aims to source 10% of its output from waste materials by 2030. The measures have gained momentum following deadly dam failures in Brazil in recent years.
Other highlights of Vale's circular mining efforts include sand production from waste, which has surpassed 3 million tons since 2023, the company said.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation















