Jorge Alvarado Dias, CEO of the Bolivian iron ore and steel complex Empresa Siderurgica del Mutum (ESM), has visited Siderurgica Vetorial, a pig iron producer located in the Brazilian central western state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Dias is considering Vetorial for a potential strategic alliance, including the acquisition of pig iron to be used as feedstock to produce steel while ESM’s direct reduction plant is under construction.
He also mentioned that Vetorial could cooperate with ESM in its iron ore export sales.
The ESM complex includes plants of concentration, pelletizing, direct reduction, steel conversion, rolling, power and ancillary services.
Having already achieved an 87 percent construction development, six of the complex plants will start operations in August 2024, while the DRI plant will start production in February 2025.
At full pace, ESM will produce per year 200,000 mt of rebars and wire rod, and 800,000 mt of iron ore.
Vetorial produced 400,000 mt of pig iron in 2023.