Posted on 17 Mar 2023
Vale says it has, for the first time, managed to produce commercial-quality iron ore pellet on an industrial scale without using anthracite coal. In a test carried out in a pellet plant in Vargem Grande, Minas Gerais, Vale replaced 100% of the fossil fuel with biocarbon, Kallanish notes.
Anthracite coal accounts for around 50% of carbon dioxide emissions in pellet production, which is Vale’s most carbon-intensive process in terms of direct company emissions. Pelletising accounts for 30% of Vale’s total Scope 1 emissions. The test began by replacing 50% of the coal with biocarbon, before gradually increasing up to 100%. In total, approximately 50,000 tonnes of pellet were produced, of which 15,000t were produced using 100% certified biocarbon.
Using biocarbon just in the Vargem Grande pellet plant will cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 350,000t, equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 75,400 small 1-litre cars. “More tests will be carried out in 2023, of longer duration, to thoroughly evaluate the process. Only after this stage will we be able to generate information for the development of the necessary engineering work aimed at the definitive implementation of this project,” says engineer Rodrigo Boyer.
Separately, Vale has signed the “25 by 25 Pledge” launched on Thursday by BIMCO as part of its ongoing effort to accelerate trade digitalisation and streamline the supply chain process in the bulk sector. The scheme encourages the companies in the bulk sector to move 25% of their annual seaborne trade volume for at least one commodity using electronic bills of lading by 2025.
Source:Kallanish
