Brazilian miner Vale has resumed operations at its Capanema mine in Minas Gerais state, ending a 22-year shutdown.
The restart will add 15mn metric tonnes(t)/yr to the company's iron ore output, Vale said on Thursday.
Operations restarted on 4 September following a five-year renovation project.
Vale expects the additional output to support its goal of reaching its production target of 340mn-360mn t/yr in 2026.
The miner increased its iron ore output to 83.6mn t in the second quarter 2025 from 80.6mn t a year earlier. The goal is to produce up to 335mn t of iron by year-end.
The renewed mine uses the natural moisture of iron ore through a dry stacking process that eliminates the need for tailings dams.
Dry stacking is a method where water is removed from the mining waste, which is then compacted and piled up. This is a safer alternative to storing tailings in dams.
Vale has been reducing its reliance on dams to improve safety and minimize legal and financial liability.
This shift follows two major dam disasters: Mariana in 2015 and Brumadinho in 2019. The incidents caused deaths and injuries, severe environmental damage, and billions in reparations and fines.
Vale has since committed to decommissioning upstream dams and investing in dry processing technologies that eliminate the need for water in ore processing.
The Capanema mine also reprocesses iron ore from old waste piles. The company produced nearly 9mn t of iron from tailings in the first half of 2025, a 14pc increase compared with the same period in 2024, the company said.
Vale projects a 10pc boost in output from reprocessing mining waste by 2030.
