Samarco

We hold a 50% interest in Samarco, a non-operated joint venture in Brazil. The company employs around 11,600 people directly and indirectly and produces iron ore pellets through its operating units in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states.

Following the Fundão dam failure in 2015, Samarco has resumed its operations with a strong focus on safety and sustainability. A new filtration system was implemented, enabling the company to operate without the use of dams. 80% of the generated tailings are now dry stacked, with the rest deposited in a confined rocky pit.

In line with Brazilian legislation, the Germano dam and pit are now undergoing a decommissioning process following its deactivation in 2015.

Samarco at a glance

Samarco has its own integrated logistics. This includes mines, concentrators, and pelletizing plants for the processing of iron ore, with pipelines that connect the two operating units and a port terminal for the export of production.
20 milliontonnes of pellets produced since the restart
Over 200shipments to internal and external markets
USD 458Mgenerated in tax income since the restart

Reparation actions

The Renova Foundation operates 42 programs, covering the focus areas of people and community; land and water; and reconstruction and infrastructure. The preparation and execution of the programs are based on the involvement of communities at all stages, with each program undergoing regular monitoring and independent external audits. This ensures the transparency, validity and progress of each program.
USD 6.6bn disbursed in remediation and compensation actions to July 2023
USD 3bn paid in compensation and emergency financial aid to July 2023
429,800 impacted people received indemnification

Discover a new Samarco

The company resumed operations differently, using new technologies.

A new filtration system allows for the dry stacking of 80% of the generated tailings, with the rest deposited in a confined pit. Visit the website to find out more about Samarco's restart.