I-Vale ikhiqize cishe amathani angu-250,000 emikhiqizo yesihlabathi esiqhubekayo, eqinisekisiwe ukuthi ingathatha indawo yesihlabathi esivame ukumbiwa ngokungemthetho.

Ngemva kweminyaka engu-7 yocwaningo kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali okungaba yizigidi ezingama-50 zama-reais, i-Vale isungule inqubo yokukhiqiza imikhiqizo yesihlabathi esezingeni eliphezulu, engasetshenziswa embonini yokwakha. Le nkampani isebenzise le nqubo yokukhiqiza umkhiqizo wesihlabathi endaweni yokusebenza kwe-iron ore eMinas Gerais, futhi iguqula izinto zesihlabathi ezazidinga ukusetshenziswa kwamadamu noma izindlela zokuhlanganisa zibe imikhiqizo. Inqubo yokukhiqiza Ingaphansi kokulawulwa kwekhwalithi okufanayo nokukhiqizwa kwe-iron ore. Kulo nyaka, inkampani icubungule futhi yakhiqiza cishe amathani angu-250,000 emikhiqizo yesihlabathi esimeme, futhi inkampani ihlela ukuyithengisa noma ukuyinikela ekukhiqizweni kwekhonkrithi, udaka kanye nesamente noma ukugawulwa kwemigwaqo.

UMnu. Marcello Spinelli, iPhini likaMongameli oPhethe we-Iron Ore Business yaseVale, uthe imikhiqizo yesihlabathi iwumphumela wemikhuba yokusebenza eqhubekayo. Uthe: “Lo msebenzi usishukumisele ekwakheni umnotho ojikelezayo ngaphakathi. Kunesidingo esikhulu sesihlabathi embonini yokwakha. Imikhiqizo yethu yesihlabathi inikeza enye indlela ethembekile embonini yokwakha, ngenkathi kunciphisa imiphumela yemvelo neyenhlalo yokulahlwa kwendle. Ithonya.”

Indawo yezimayini yaseBulkoutu igceke lokugcina imikhiqizo yesihlabathi esizinzile

Ngokusho kwezilinganiso zeZizwe Ezihlangene, isidingo sonyaka somhlaba wonke sesihlabathi singamathani ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-40 kuya kwezingama-50. Isihlabathi sesibe yimithombo yemvelo exhashazwa kakhulu ngemva kwamanzi, futhi le mithombo ixhashazwa ngokungemthetho nangokudla ezinye emhlabeni jikelele.

Imikhiqizo yesihlabathi esiqhubekayo saseVale ibhekwa njengomkhiqizo ongaphansi kwetshe lensimbi. Itshe elingavuthiwe elisesimweni sedwala elimbiwe emvelweni liba itshe lensimbi ngemva kwezinqubo eziningana zokucubungula ngokomzimba njengokuchoboza, ukuhlola, ukugaya kanye nokuzuza efektri. Ukusungula izinto ezintsha kweVale kusekucutshungulweni kabusha kwemikhiqizo engaphansi kwetshe lensimbi esigabeni sokuzuza kuze kube yilapho ifinyelela izidingo zekhwalithi ezidingekayo futhi iba umkhiqizo wezohwebo. Enkambisweni yokuzuza yendabuko, lezi zinto zizoba yizinsalela, ezilahlwa ngokusebenzisa amadamu noma ngezinqwaba. Manje, ithani ngalinye lomkhiqizo wesihlabathi okhiqizwayo lisho ukuncishiswa kwethani elilodwa lezinsalela.

Imikhiqizo yesihlabathi ekhiqizwa ngenqubo yokucubungula i-iron ore iqinisekiswe ngokuphelele. Inokuqukethwe okuphezulu kwe-silicon kanye nokuqukethwe okuphansi kakhulu kwe-iron, futhi inokulingana okuphezulu kwamakhemikhali kanye nokufana kosayizi wezinhlayiya. UMnu. Jefferson Corraide, umphathi omkhulu wendawo yokusebenza ehlanganisiwe ye-Brucutu ne-Agualimpa, uthe lolu hlobo lomkhiqizo wesihlabathi aluyona ingozi. "Imikhiqizo yethu yesihlabathi icutshungulwa ngezindlela ezibonakalayo, futhi ukwakheka kwamakhemikhali kwezinto akushintshwa ngesikhathi sokucubungula, ngakho imikhiqizo ayinabo ubuthi futhi ayinangozi."

Ukusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo yesihlabathi sikaVale kukhonkolo kanye nodaka kusanda kuqinisekiswa yi-Brazilian Institute of Scientific Research (IPT), i-Falcão Bauer kanye ne-ConsultareLabCon, amalabhorethri amathathu ochwepheshe.

Abacwaningi abavela kwi-Institute of Sustainable Minerals eNyuvesi yaseQueensland e-Australia kanye neYunivesithi yaseGeneva eSwitzerland benza ucwaningo oluzimele ukuze bahlaziye izici zemikhiqizo yesihlabathi saseVale ukuze baqonde ukuthi ngabe le mpahla yokwakha ehlukile etholakala ku-ore ingaba umthombo wesihlabathi oqhubekayo futhi inciphise kakhulu inani lemfucuza ekhiqizwa yimisebenzi yezimayini. Abacwaningi basebenzisa igama elithi “oresand” ukubhekisela emikhiqizweni yesihlabathi etholakala emikhiqizweni ye-ore futhi ekhiqizwa ngokucubungula.

isikali sokukhiqiza

I-Vale izibophezele ekuthengiseni noma ekunikeleni ngamathani angaphezu kwesigidi esisodwa emikhiqizo yesihlabathi ngo-2022. Abathengi bayo bavela ezifundeni ezine okubalwa kuzo iMinas Gerais, i-Espirito Santo, iSao Paulo kanye neBrasilia. Le nkampani ibikezela ukuthi ngo-2023, umkhiqizo wemikhiqizo yesihlabathi uzofinyelela kumathani ayizigidi ezimbili.

“Sikulungele ukwandisa imakethe yokusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo yesihlabathi kusukela ngo-2023. Ngale njongo, simise ithimba elizinikele ukutshala imali kuleli bhizinisi elisha. Bazosebenzisa inqubo yokukhiqiza umkhiqizo wesihlabathi enkambisweni yokukhiqiza ekhona ukuze bahlangabezane nesidingo semakethe.” kusho uMnu. Rogério Nogueira, uMqondisi we-Vale Iron Ore Marketing.

I-Vale okwamanje ikhiqiza imikhiqizo yesihlabathi emayini yaseBrucutu eSan Gonzalo de Abaisau, eMinas Gerais, ezothengiswa noma inikelwe.

Ezinye izindawo zokumba eMinas Gerais nazo zenza izinguquko zemvelo kanye nezezimayini ukuze zifake izinqubo zokukhiqiza isihlabathi. “Lezi zindawo zokumba zikhiqiza izinto zesihlabathi ezinokuqukethwe okuphezulu kwe-silicon, okungasetshenziswa ezimbonini ezahlukene. Sisebenzisana nezikhungo eziningi kubandakanya amanyuvesi, izikhungo zocwaningo kanye nezinkampani zasekhaya nezangaphandle ukuthuthukisa izixazululo ezintsha zokuhlinzeka ngemisila emisha yensimbi. Indlela yokuphuma.” kugcizelele uMnu. André Vilhena, umphathi webhizinisi omusha waseVale.

Ngaphezu kokusebenzisa ingqalasizinda ekhona endaweni yokumba insimbi, iVale iphinde yakha inethiwekhi yezokuthutha equkethe izitimela nemigwaqo yokuthutha imikhiqizo yesihlabathi iye emazweni amaningi eBrazil. “Ukugxila kwethu ukuqinisekisa ukusimama kwebhizinisi lensimbi. Ngaleli bhizinisi elisha, sithemba ukunciphisa umthelela wemvelo, ngenkathi sifuna amathuba okukhuthaza umsebenzi nokwandisa imali engenayo.” UMnu. Verena wengeze.

imikhiqizo yemvelo

I-Vale ibilokhu yenza ucwaningo mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwe-tailings kusukela ngo-2014. Ngonyaka odlule, inkampani yavula i-Puku Brick Factory, okuyifektri yokuqala yokuhlola ukukhiqiza imikhiqizo yokwakha isebenzisa i-tailings evela emisebenzini yezimayini njengezinto ezisetshenziswa kakhulu. Lesi sitshalo sitholakala endaweni yezimayini i-Pico e-Itabilito, eMinas Gerais, futhi sihlose ukukhuthaza umnotho ojikelezayo ekucutshungulweni kwe-iron ore.

I-Federal Center for Science and Technology Education yaseMinas Gerais kanye nePico Brick Factory baqalise ukubambisana kwezobuchwepheshe futhi bathumela abacwaningi abayi-10 okubalwa kubo oprofesa, ochwepheshe belebhu, abafundi abaphothule iziqu, abafundi be-undergraduate kanye nabafundi bezifundo zobuchwepheshe efektri. Phakathi nesikhathi sokubambisana, sizosebenza endaweni yefektri, futhi imikhiqizo ngesikhathi sokucwaninga nokuthuthukiswa ngeke ithengiswe ezweni langaphandle.

I-Vale ibambisana nekhampasi yase-Itabira ye-Federal University of Itajuba ukuze kufundwe indlela yokusebenzisa imikhiqizo yesihlabathi ukuze kugaywe. Le nkampani ihlela ukunikela ngemikhiqizo yesihlabathi endaweni yakini ukuze kugaywe.

Ukumbiwa kwezimayini okusimeme kakhudlwana

Ngaphezu kokuthuthukisa imikhiqizo yemvelo, iVale iphinde yathatha ezinye izinyathelo zokunciphisa ukususwa kwezindawo zasemayini nokwenza imisebenzi yezimayini ibe sesimweni esizinzile. Le nkampani izibophezele ekuthuthukiseni ubuchwepheshe bokucubungula okomile obungadingi amanzi. Njengamanje, cishe ama-70% emikhiqizo ye-iron ore yaseVale akhiqizwa ngokucubungula okomile, futhi lesi silinganiso sizohlala singashintshi ngisho nangemva kokuba umthamo wokukhiqiza waminyaka yonke usukhushuliwe wafinyelela kumathani ayizigidi ezingama-400 futhi amaphrojekthi amasha eqalisiwe ukusebenza. Ngo-2015, i-iron ore ekhiqizwa ngokucubungula okomile yabalelwa ku-40% kuphela womkhiqizo uwonke.

Ukuthi ukucubungula okomile kungasetshenziswa yini kuhlobene nekhwalithi yensimbi embiwe. Insimbi eCarajás inokuqukethwe okuphezulu kwensimbi (ngaphezu kuka-65%), futhi inqubo yokucubungula idinga kuphela ukuchotshozwa nokuhlolwa ngokosayizi wezinhlayiya.

Okuqukethwe kwensimbi okumaphakathi kwezinye izindawo zokumba eMinas Gerais kungu-40%. Indlela yendabuko yokwelapha ukwandisa okuqukethwe kwensimbi kwe-ore ngokufaka amanzi ekuhluzeni. Iningi le-tailings elivelayo libekwe emadamini noma emigodini ye-tailings. I-Vale isebenzise obunye ubuchwepheshe bokuhluza i-ore yensimbi esezingeni eliphansi, okungukuthi ubuchwepheshe bokuhlukaniswa kwe-ore eyomile yamagnetic (FDMS). Inqubo yokuhlukaniswa kwe-ore yensimbi yamagnetic ayidingi amanzi, ngakho-ke asikho isidingo sokusebenzisa ama-tailings dams.

Ubuchwepheshe bokuhlukaniswa kwamandla kagesi owomile we-ore ecolekile bathuthukiswa eBrazil yi-NewSteel, eyathengwa yi-Vale ngo-2018, futhi isetshenziswe esitshalweni sokuhlola eMinas Gerais. Isitshalo sokuqala sezentengiselwano sizosetshenziswa endaweni yokusebenza yaseVargem Grande ngo-2023. Lesi sitshalo sizoba namandla okukhiqiza ngonyaka angamathani ayizigidi ezingu-1.5 kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali okuphelele okungu-US$150 million.

Olunye ubuchwepheshe obunganciphisa isidingo samadamu e-tailings ukuhlunga i-tailings bese uyigcina ezinqwabeni ezomile. Ngemva kokuba umthamo wonyaka wokukhiqiza i-iron ore ufinyelela amathani ayizigidi ezingu-400, iningi lamathani ayizigidi ezingu-60 (okubalwa u-15% womthamo wokukhiqiza uwonke) lizosebenzisa lobu buchwepheshe ukuhlunga nokugcina i-tailings. I-Vale ivule isitshalo sokuhlunga i-tailings endaweni yezimayini i-Great Varzhin, futhi ihlela ukuvula ezinye izitshalo ezintathu zokuhlunga i-tailings kwikota yokuqala ka-2022, esinye sazo sitholakala endaweni yezimayini i-Brucutu kanti ezinye ezimbili zitholakala endaweni yezimayini i-Itabira. Ngemuva kwalokho, i-iron ore ekhiqizwa yinqubo yendabuko yokuzuza amanzi izobala u-15% kuphela womthamo wokukhiqiza uwonke, kanti i-tailings ekhiqizwayo izogcinwa emadamini e-tailings noma emigodini yezimayini engasebenzi.