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Operating license granted for Brazilian mineral line
Written by KeithBrazilian mining giant Vale has obtained a 10-year operating license from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (Ibama) for a rail link to the new Carajás Serra Sul (S11D) mine in the state of Pará.
The 53-mile branch runs southwest from a junction with Vale’s existing Carajás Railway (EFC) west of Marabá. The line is largely single-track with loops totalling 10 miles.
Iron ore from the mine will be transported via the EFC to Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal at São Luís in Maranhão state.
Vale says the US$14.3 billion project to build the mine, railway, and Ponta da Madeira export terminal is now 79% complete. Work began on the railway in February 2014 and included the construction of four tunnels ranging from 0.3-mile to 0.6-mile in length.
The new railway is a key component of Vale’s plan to increase Carajás iron ore output to 230 million tons per year.
