By Brazil Stock Guide — Vale S.A. (B3: VALE3; NYSE: VALE) said Tuesday it has started operations at a second electric furnace at its Onça Puma nickel operation in Pará. The project, carried out by subsidiary Vale Base Metals (VBM), lifts annual production capacity by 15,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes.
The investment amounted to about $480 million, 13% below budget, and was delivered on schedule. “This investment and successful delivery of the project is a tangible demonstration of VBM’s commitment to Pará and Brazil and further ensures the company has globally competitive, world-class operations,” said Shaun Usmar, CEO of VBM.
The newly rebuilt unit is an electric smelting furnace used to process lateritic nickel ore into ferronickel, an alloy widely employed in stainless steel and energy-related technologies. These furnaces operate at extremely high temperatures and are critical to the plant’s performance: when one goes offline, output drops sharply. With both furnaces running, Onça Puma gains resilience, efficiency and greater production predictability.
The project underlines Vale’s strategy to expand its base metals segment, seen as central to the global energy transition. The company reaffirmed its commitment to competitive and sustainable operations, aiming to deliver long-term value to shareholders, local communities and other stakeholders.
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