Samarco started the activities of the new integrated room in the Germano Complex in Mariana (MG), part of the Center for Integrated Operations (COI). The migration of all control rooms to the site, including related to mine, crushing, tailings filtration, concentrators and ore pipeline with a virtual connection to the Ubu room, marks a new model of integrated planning and operations management. Through the integration of the areas of planning, operations, asset management, processes, environmental management and sales plan, we hope to achieve significant improvements in results and in operational and process safety.
The management model proposed by the IOC aims to provide answers for the quest of constant improvement of safety and risk management. “When we integrate, within a systemic and control vision, areas such as asset management, environment, mine planning and operations, we improve operational and business security. In addition, the Center helps managers to think about the “global best” rather than the “local best”. A safe and responsible operation is the support of our business strategy”, says president Rodrigo Vilela, who also highlighted that the integration of people and processes is fundamental within the governance outlined in the ESG (social, environmental and governance).
The pilot project was implemented by Samarco in 2021 and the initiative is aligned with the purpose of making mining different, safer and more sustainable. The IOC promotes the integration of processes from the extraction of ore in Germano, through stages such as the treatment, filtration and disposal of the tailings, transport and reception of the concentrate slurry, pelletizing until shipment from the Port Terminal, in Ubu, Espírito Santo.
The creation of the IOC consolidates a more precise monitoring model in the direction of operations. “The IOC drives and strengthens preventive actions. From the results generated, it is possible to anticipate problems in the production process and in the management of critical events. We observed the improvement of our responses, with more agile, effective decision-making and with a systemic view of the production chain from mine to port”, concluded the Director of Planning and Operations Sérgio Mileipe.