Logistics, Setor Ferroviário

Railroad and Iron Mining in Brazil: Understand the dependence between them

Iron mining is one of the most profitable and beneficial activities for Brazil's finances. The extracted iron is extremely important for the production of steel in the industries and it is a metal widely used for making various tools that we find in the national market. The extraction of this ore occurs mainly in the deposits located in Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pará.

The iron mining processes in Brazil become profitable because, in addition to supplying the domestic market, they are extremely used for export, and it is for this reason that the railroads are very important, since they are responsible for connecting the mines to others cities, especially those with ports.

Obviously, the railroads that operate to transport this type of cargo have to be built close to the mining companies. The main railroads that operate to take iron ores to the ports are:

  • MRS Logística: Minas Gerais – Portos de Santos e Rio de Janeiro;
  • Estrada do Carajás : Carajás (PA) até São Luís (MA);
  • Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas: Interior de Minas Gerais até o porto do Espírito Santo.

Carajás Road

Estrada do Carajás:Ferrovia e Mineração de ferro no Brasil
Fonte: Vale

Among the listed railroads, Estrada do Carajás is certainly the most impactful. The railroad connects the Carajás region, located in Pará, to the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal, in São Luís, Maranhão. To learn more about how this important railroad works, just click here. clicar aqui. 

But, why is Estrada do Carajás so important for iron mining? Well, the answer is in your location. The Carajás region has the largest open pit mines in the world, among them the Carajás Mine and the S11D, explored by Vale. Due to the ease of extraction as they are almost at ground level and also due to the degree of purity of the ore, these mines are of paramount importance for mining in Brazil.

The large iron ore mining complex in Brazil, in Carajás, was discovered in 1967, when a geologist and head of the team of geologists from United States Steela North American company that was exploring the ore regions in Brazil, arrived at the complex Carajás and found large amounts of iron.

From then on, the North American company obtained about 70% of all exploration rights in the region, while Vale obtained the other 30%.

At the end of the 1970s, the Brazilian company had created an ambitious exploration project and, for that purpose, bought all exploration rights from United States Steel. After staying with the entire region to explore the site in any way it wanted, Vale launched the Grande Carajás Project, which revolutionized the way of working on iron mining in Brazil.

The Grande Carajás Project did not only address the exploitation of iron ores, as other ores, such as bauxite and manganese, were also abundant in the region. 

For the project to be successful, it was necessary to create ways to dispose of the products obtained from iron mining in Brazil, in the Carajás region. That was how Vale invested in the construction of Estrada do Carajás and also in the Port of Ponta da Madeira, located in Maranhão.

Estrada do Carajás allowed all iron ore extracted from mines in the region to reach the port of Maranhão for export. Currently, it is estimated that 100 million tons of iron ore will be exported from this flow, mainly to Asian countries.

In addition to the ores extracted from iron ore mining in Brazil that pass through Estrada do Carajás, the railroad operates in the export of other ores, such as copper and manganese, only in much smaller quantities.

MRS Logistics

MRS Logistics
Fonte:MRS Logística

Another important railroad that has lines to assist iron mining in Brazil, MRS logistics, is located in the region of Minas Gerais and has as main objective the flow of ores to the ports of Santos (SP) and Itaguaí (RJ). 

The railroad is one of the most important in the country and has about 20% of all cargo transported in Brazil, with iron ore being one of the main products of this transport. The line is more than 1600 km long and operates with more than 18 thousand cars in about 800 locomotives. 

Vitória-Minas railroad (EFVM)

Vitória-Minas railroad (EFVM)
Fonte: EFVM

The name of the railroad already delivers the main objective of the line. Built to integrate the city of Vitória (ES) with the state of Minas Gerais, the railroad has become one of the most important for iron ore mining in Brazil, as the ores extracted from the deposits in the interior of Minas are drained by this railroad line. 

With a length of more than 905 km, the Vitória a Minas railroad works with the disposal of iron minerals from small rural towns in the state of Minas Gerais, taking them to the Port of Tubarão, in Espírito Santo. 

In addition to the strong performance with exports obtained in iron mining in Brazil, EFVM also transports other products such as mineral coal, cellulose and steel products, but in a smaller quantity. 

Bahia Mining

Bahia Mining
Fonte: Bamin

Bahia Mineração (Bamin), controlled by the Eurasian Resources Group, is an iron mining company in Brazil. Created in 2005, the company intends to become one of the biggest investors in the exploration of iron ores here in the country.

In 2005, some Bahian geologists found a large deposit of iron ores in the city of Caetité, in the interior of Bahia, and that was where Bamin appeared, which served to control the actions carried out in the region. 

With pioneering, sustainable and consolidated ideas in the market, the company suffers from logistical difficulties imposed by the lack of railroads in the region.


The West-East Integration railroad (FIOL), which would be the ideal partner for the flow of ores obtained by Bamin, had its operations interrupted and is still in a resumption project. 

The company's route of interest, between Ilhéus (BA) and Caetité (BA), is over 500 km long, but continues with the works stopped. 

Bamin, which has stipulated a program called the Pedra de Ferro Project, has already spoken out publicly to say that if necessary it would help in granting the line so that the works could be resumed.

With the completion of the works, the company says it intends to produce 18 million tons per year, in an investment of US $ 700 million, thus becoming one of the main exporters of iron mining in Brazil. 

Conclusão sobre a mineração de ferro no brasil e a ferrovia

We can conclude that the link between railroad and iron mining in Brazil is essential. Mining companies are dependent on the railroads to be able to profitably dispose of their inputs. The abandonment of the FIOL section is a clear example of how the railroads are fundamental for mining activities, since they are the main responsible for the flow and export of the ores extracted in the main mines in the country. 

FONTES: https://www.antf.org.br/associadas/

http://www.vale.com/brasil/pt/aboutvale/news/paginas/voce-sabe-como-nosso-minerio-ferro-chega-nossos-clientes.aspx

http://www.vale.com/brasil/pt/aboutvale/news/paginas/saiba-mais-atuacao-vale-minas-gerais.aspx

http://www.vale.com/hotsite/PT/Paginas/conheca-mais-sobre-historia-carajas-maior-mina-minerio-ferro-mundo.aspx#:~:text=Caraj%C3%A1s%2C%20a%20maior%20mina%20de%20min%C3%A9rio%20de%20ferro%20a%20c%C3%A9u,Arqueada%2C%20no%20sudeste%20do%20Par%C3%A1.

http://www.vale.com/hotsite/PT/Paginas/conheca-mais-sobre-historia-carajas-maior-mina-minerio-ferro-mundo.aspx

https://www.mrs.com.br/post-newsletter/268-vagoes-agora-carregados/

https://www.mrs.com.br/empresa/quem-somos/

https://www.ppi.gov.br/efvm-estrada-de-ferro-vitoria-a-minas

https://www.ppi.gov.br/ferrovia-ef-334ba-ferrovia-de-integracao-oeste-lest-fiol

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