Vale gets environmental license to build terminal in Maranhão

Vale announced this Monday that they received the last environmental license for Pier IV of the marine terminal of Ponta da Madeira, in the state of Maranhão, a project that will allow the expansion of the ore flow capacity of the main company’s mine, Carajás.

Obtaining the LO (environmental license for operation) represents a fundamental step for the logistical to the growth of ore production of Carajás, since Vale now has all environmental licenses required for port operations of project CLN 150, the company said.

Project CLN 150 will allow the expansion of the logistics capacity of the Carajás Railroad to 150 million metric tons per year, and involves the expansion of 125 km of the Carajás Railroad (EFC), as well as the construction of a rail terminal, in addition to Pier IV.

The total flow capacity by CLN 150 equals about half of total sales of ore and pellets of Vale – the largest global producer of the commodity – last year.

Vale is working on other parallel projects in the state of Pará to increase by 40 million tons per year the production capacity of the Carajás region, scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2013.

Moreover, Vale also develops Carajás Serra Sul, with entry expected in the second half of 2016, which will have a nominal capacity of 90 million tons of ore.

An important pole in the state of Pará, Carajás produced 106.8 million tons in 2012, 2.7 percent less than 2011.

The flow capacity expansion in the North System is scheduled to take place between the first half of this year and the end of 2014, according to a report released recently by Vale, which also reported that a ship has docked in the port of Maranhão, as a loading test.

The license, issued by the State Department of Environment, refers to the stretches on land and at sea of the pier.

The onshore part comprises two car dumpers, two yards for storing iron ore, a forklift, two iron ore reclaimers and conveyor belts. The offshore contains the South berth of Pier IV, an access bridge (1.6 km), ship loader with its load line (16,000 tons per hour), environmental protection system, a pier for tugboats and other equipment.