Brazilian iron ore miner Vale announced an agreement with local gas suppliers Eneva and Gasmar, for the supply of natural gas to its Sao Luis pellet plant, located in the northeastern state of Maranhao.
The move will consolidate the use of natural gas in all Vale’s pellet plants until 2024.

The company also operates pellet plants in the states of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais, in the southeastern region, and in Sohar, Oman.

The natural gas will replace the use of fuel oil as the source of heat for the calcination of the pellets, with savings in the generation of greenhouse effect related gases estimated at 28 percent.

The initiative is part of Vale’s efforts to reduce by 33 percent its direct and indirect emissions of carbon by 2030.

The reduction of emissions in the production of pellets is one of the main challenges of the company, as the activity represents today nearly 30 percent of the generation of greenhouse effect related gases, exceeding even the iron ore mining and the railroad transportation, Vale’s core businesses.

The company is also developing the use of biocarbon, a renewable product derived from the carbonization of biomass, at its Sao Luis pellet plant. The company said it is committed to a policy of zero carbon emission by 2050.