[ferro-alloys.com]Vale has received a preliminary license for the expansion of the Serra Leste iron ore mine, in Pará, Brazil.

Located 50 km from Curionópolis and 5 km from Serra Pelada, Serra Leste Mine has an estimated reserve of 307.4 million metric tonnes, with average iron content of 65.4%.

The company plans to increase the production from the current 6 million tonnes per year to 10 million tonnes per year.

Licensing was initially requested in 2016 and was issued on Wednesday by the Enviromental Department of Pará.

“This represents about 1,300 new jobs on the construction site and approximately 1,100 jobs when the project is in operation,” said Governor of Pará Helder Barbalho.

Vale foresees the extraction and processing of 107 million tonnes of iron ore in the Serra Leste Project in the next 11 years.

“There were about four years waiting for this preliminary license that will allow that, in three months from now, when there is an Installation License, works will be carried out to expand the project” said Barbalho.

(Mining.com)

• [Editor:王可]