Vale project to reduce carbon emissions advances

Vale has made important advancements toward using green fuels with lower carbon emissions in its navigation operations. A pioneering design project developed by the company to incorporate dual-fuel tanks in ore carriers received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the DNV Classification Society.

DNV assessed the technical feasibility and indicated that, based on the design developed in partnership with the Norwegian companies Brevik Engineering AS and Passer Matin, the vessels chartered by the mining company could be adapted to storage fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol and ammonia.

The initiative to design dual-fuel tanks is part of the Ecoshipping program developed by Vale to renew its fleet and reduce carbon emissions. A preliminary study conducted with Guaibamax vessels estimates that emissions can be reduced by 40% and 80% when powered by methanol and ammonia or up to 23% in the case of LNG.

Currently, dozens of second-generation VLOCs (Very Large Ore Carriers) with 400 and 325 thousand tonnes of capacity were designed to allow the future installation of an LNG system, including an under-deck compartment capable of receiving a tank capable of sustaining a whole trip. With the dual-fuel tank design approved, Vale will develop a pilot project in the coming months for the implementation of this system in a Guaibamax.

“The dual-fuel tank system removes key barriers to the employment of alternative, greener fuels, including regulatory and infrastructure factors that must be addressed when defining the ideal fuel. [Dual-fuels] is a solution for the future, but no one takes into account already existing ships, many of which have more than 20 years of service life ahead of them. Combined with other energy-efficient technologies developed by Vale, such as rotating sails and air lubrication, we will soon employ more efficient vessels with very lower carbon emissions,” explains Vale’s naval engineering manager, Rodrigo Bermelho.

Carbon goals

In addition to using alternative fuels, Vale developed other energy-optimized technologies. For example, the company presented the first ore carrier equipped with rotating sails and the first Guaibamax vessel with air lubrication installed last year. These initiatives are part of Ecoshipping, a program created by Vale’s shipping branch to meet the company’s goal of reducing carbon emissions in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Since 2020, Vale has announced investments of up to US$ 6 billion to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 33% by 2030. The company has also committed to reducing its scope three emissions relative to the value chain, which includes shipping emissions in the case of Vale, by 15% by 2035. These goals are aligned with the Paris Agreement.

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