The Brazilian iron ore pellets producer Samarco has reportedly updated plans to restart operations of its pellet plant number three, idled since the accident in November 2015, when a rejects dam collapsed in Mariana in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
Samarco has four pellet plants, of which only the plant number four is operating, under the restart plan of 2020.
One month ago, the company shared that the restart of the plant number three would be anticipated from Q1 2025 to December 2024, but now the plant is set for restart in September or October, according to sources linked to the company.
An official announcement by Samarco is expected in the next few weeks.
The number three plant has a production capacity of 7.8 million mt per year, which added to the 9.0 million mt per year of the plant number four, and will restore 60 percent of the company’s production capacity.