Gerdau has outlined its plans to enhance iron ore production

Brazilian Gerdau to quadruple iron ore production at Miguel Burnier. The company aims to ramp up annual output from 1.2 million tons to 5.5 million tons by early 2026, and to achieve this goal, it plans to invest approximately $665 million (equivalent to 3.2 billion reais) in the mine. Gerdau representatives have specified that the ore extracted from the deposit will serve the operations of the plant near Ouro Branco, as well as Gerdau's facilities in Baran di Cocaes, Divinopolis, and Seti Lagoas.

The allocated funds will be utilized for several purposes, including the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, the establishment of a dry storage facility for tailings in place of the traditional tailings pond, and the construction of a 15 km pipeline connecting the mine to the Gerdau Acominas plant near Ouro Branco.

Notably, Gerdau is placing significant emphasis on decarbonization efforts, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions not only from the mine but also from its steelworks. Gustavo Werneck, the CEO of Gerdau, stated that the modernization efforts will enable the company to produce higher-quality ore, resulting in reduced carbon dioxide emissions during the processing stages.