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Vale Opens Distribution Center, Pelletizing Plant in Oman

03/05/2012 - Vale has officially opened its new US$1.36-billion distribution center and pelletizing plant at the Port of Sohar Industrial Complex in the Sultanate of Oman.

Vale has officially opened its new US$1.36-billion distribution center and pelletizing plant at the Port of Sohar Industrial Complex in the Sultanate of Oman.
 
The pelletizing plant and distribution center will serve as a hub for meeting growing demand for iron ore products in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, including India. The plant, which has a maximum production capacity of 9 million tonnes of direct-reduction pellets per year, will enable the company to store large amounts of raw iron ore on a just-in-time basis.
 
The company’s industrial complex is made up of two pelletizing units, each with a nominal production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes of direct-reduction pellets per year, and a distribution center able to handle 40 million tonnes per year.
 
Vale has invested US$40 million in technologies to reduce the project’s environmental impact, including electrostatic precipitators and a wind fence to control particulate matter emissions. The site also has a continuous emissions monitoring system, and 100% of the water used there is recycled.
 
“We have a solid commitment to Oman,” said Vale CEO Murilo Ferreira. “We join forces with the government, the private sector and each community wherever we operate to catalyze sustainable development. At each stage, we ensure that our relations with our partners are based on transparency, respect and trust.”
 
The first pelletizing unit began operating in April 2011. To maximize the distribution center’s capacity, Vale entered into a partnership with Sohar Industrial Port Company to build a 1.4-km deepwater terminal. This terminal is one of the first ports in the world to receive Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs), ships able to carry up to 400,000 tonnes of goods, used to transport iron ore from Brazil to the coast of the Sultanate of Oman.
 
Since it began operating in Oman, Vale has played a major role in the construction of solid industrial infrastructure, promoting local economic development through investment focused on preserving the environment, generating jobs and building up the local supply chain.