Vale Newfoundland is owned by Vale SE, a Brazillian multinational diversified metal and mining corporation and one of the largest logistics operations in Brazil.

Vale is the second largest mining company in the world. The company is the largest producer of iron ore pellets and the second largest of nickel. In the electric energy sector, the company participates in a consortium that currently operates in nine hydroelectric plants.

Vale was founded in 1942 and is headquartered in Rio-de-Janerio Brazil. With operations in more than 30 countries, Vale is a truly global company with offices, operations, exploration and joint ventures spread over the five continents.

Vale Newfoundland Operations

Vale’s operation in our province consists of two major components. The Voisey’s Bay Mine and Concentrator Site, in Labrador, has been producing ore since 2005. The site also includes vast deposits that are being accessed via recent underground developments.

The Long Harbour Processing Plant (LHPP) began operations in 2014 and currently employs approximately 500 people, the vast majority of whom are from Newfoundland and Labrador.  The LHPP and the Voisey’s Bay mine and concentrator are an integrated operation. Nickel concentrate from Voisey’s Bay are shipped to Long Harbour to be processed into finished nickel and associated copper and cobalt products.

In designing the LHPP, Vale sought to develop a new, more efficient process for processing Voisey’s Bay concentrate than traditional smelting and refining. In advance of commercial plant construction, an extensive $200 million R&D program was launched to explore the feasibility of hydrometallurgical (hydromet) technology. Based on the success of this program, a decision was made to build a commercial-scale hydromet facility in Long Harbour.

St. John’s is home to the Vale Newfoundland & Labrador corporate office. Employees in this office focus on matters related to Vale’s operation in Voisey’s Bay and Long Harbour.

Fore more information on Vale operations in Newfoundland and Labrador please go to www.vale.com