Samarco's Board of Directors approved an investment of BRL 1.3 billion for the company to increase its current production capacity by the first quarter of 2025. The amount will be allocated to operational readiness and, mainly, optimizations focused on the proper disposal of tailings, such as the construction of a new filtration plant for sandy tailings and improvements to the concentrator that will reduce the generation of ultrafines by approximately four percent. In order to reach 60% of its production capacity, Samarco will continue to operate with dry stacking of tailings, without the use of dams.

The tailings filtration plant and the improvements to the concentrator represent approximately BRL 560 million, in addition to BRL 753 million for the maintenance and integrity of the assets. Approximately BRL 248 million will be invested in 2023. The balance will be invested mainly throughout 2024.

“In a safe and gradual way, we will take another step towards the full resumption of our production. We continue to operate in a different way, whether through the treatment and disposal of tailings and sharing value with the territories where we operate in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo”, said President Rodrigo Vilela.

Vilela also pointed out that among Samarco's priorities are full compliance with the remediation, the safety of the geotechnical structures and the de-characterization works of the Germano pit and dam, which are at an advanced stage. At the same time, the imminent approval of the Judicial Reorganization Plan will make it possible to optimize the company's capital structure, further improving its investment capacity.

Currently, Samarco operates at 30% of its production capacity, which corresponds to approximately 9 million tons of iron ore pellets, through a pelletizing plant and a concentrator.

Increase in production

Reaching 60% of production capacity will result in the production of around 15 million tons of iron ore pellets per year.

For this expansion, the company will use two concentrators and two tailings filtration plants at the Germano Complex, a pipeline and two pelletizing plants at the Ubu Complex (ES). All structures are licensed through the Corrective Operational Licensing (LOC), obtained by Samarco in October 2019.

Job creation

With a view to increasing production, Samarco plans to create around 3,000 jobs, 575 of which will be for technical-operational positions at its units in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo and the others for temporary projects such as the construction of the new filtration plant, improvements to the concentrator that will go into operation and for operational readiness. These direct hires have already started punctually and most vacancies will be offered in the first half of 2024.

Samarco will prioritize hiring in its host communities, as well as women and people with people with special needs. In addition, the company will promote courses to train the local workforce according to the demands of the projects.