Vale and ABB have signed a strategic alliance with the aim of expanding the use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to increase safety, productivity and sustainability in mineral production in Brazil. It follows the inauguration of one of the most advanced iron ore processing plants in the industry, Vale’s Conceição II Model Plant in Itabira, Minas Gerais.
The model will serve as a reference for the technological evolution of other Vale units, with the mining company planning to expand the application of automation, artificial intelligence and digitalisation. The initiative is the result of the expansion of the partnership between Vale and ABB and will gradually replicate the technological solutions implemented at the Itabira plant in other iron ore processing plants. Vale’s aim is to increase the safety of operations, improve operational performance and raise the quality of production.
Inaugurated in June this year, the Conceição II Model Plant represents one of the main projects of Vale’s Mining of the Future strategy. ABB acted as consultant, systems integrator and technology provider in the partnership, cooperating on the development, validation, interoperability and scalability of advanced industrial automation, digitalisation and integrated IT/OT technology solutions, aiming at the optimisation, security and sustainability of operations.
More than 100 monitoring cameras were installed across the 11.2 Mt per year complex, along with the automation of more than 7,000 instruments, including new advanced measurement devices and sensors. Data intelligence is also used to control, manage and optimise more than 400 variables across all stages of the ore processing workflow. Operating flows were also reviewed to anticipate failures and avoid unplanned shutdowns.
The results from Conceição II demonstrated the potential of digital transformation in mining. Since its implementation in 2024, the plant has recorded a 25% increase in productivity, a 40% growth in the production of premium ore for direct reduction, and a 26% reduction in iron losses in the tailings. The new configuration also reduced the need for manual interventions in the field, contributing to a safer operation for employees.
Now, with the unit serving as a blueprint for expanding the model to other company operations, Vale and ABB have signed a strategic alliance to bring forward their shared vision of driving productivity, safety, energy efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability across operations.
“The Model Plant Project has shown that new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, improve employee safety and increase productivity, operational efficiency and quality in mining,” said Carlos Medeiros, Vale’s Vice President of Operations. “Now, we are going to take this learning to other Vale operations, increasing the predictability of processes, improving the use of mineral resources and reducing people’s exposure to risky activities. The initiative reinforces our new way of operating, which is increasingly safe, sustainable and data-driven, strengthening our competitiveness and preparing us for the challenges of the future.”
“This new agreement with Vale represents an important milestone in our partnership,” said Joachim Braun, President of ABB’s Process Industries Division. “Building on the success achieved in Conceição II, we are creating a framework to deploy a consistent approach to automation, electrification and digitalisation across multiple operations.”
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