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- Transmission Line80,968
- Power Plant32,429
- Substation / Converter7,614
- Oil & Gas Field7,055
- Coal / Uranium Mine5,382
- Pipeline4,951
- Cement Plant3,513
- Data Centre3,283
- Iron & Steel Plant1,293
- LNG Terminal1,198
- Grid Storage965
- Iron Ore Mine949
- Chemical Plant868
- Interconnector704
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- Refinery279
- Storage / Tank Farm38
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Chokepoints
Brazil · asset class
Iron Ore Mines in Brazil
Brazil has 56 iron ore mines mapped on the OverWatts open energy atlas — the 4th-largest fleet of the 70 countries that hold any, and 6% of the world's mapped total. Of these, 41 operating and 7 under construction or proposed. The largest is Vale Serra Norte Complex Mine.
The largest owner-operators are Vale SA (12), Cedro Mineração (5) and Cedro Participações SA (5) — Vale SA alone is named on 21% of them. Half of Brazil's iron ore mines in service predate 2003 (median commissioning year of the 38 with a known date), 6 came online in the past decade and the oldest still listed is LHG Urucum Mine, dating from 1903. 7 are in the pipeline, led by Anglo American Minas-Rio (Serpentine) Mine, proposed. They account for 4% of every energy asset OverWatts maps in Brazil.
On the interactive map
Largest iron ore mines in Brazil
- Vale Serra Norte Complex Mine1984
- Vale Serra Sul Complex Mine2016
- CSN Casa de Pedra Mine1913
- Vale Vargem Grande Complex Mine1942
- Vale Itabira Complex Mine1957
- SAFM Ponto Verde Mine2011
- Vale Minas Centrais Complex Mine1994
- Vale Mariana Complex Mine1976
- Vale Paraopeba Complex Mine2003
- Anglo American Minas-Rio Mine2014
- Samarco Germano Alegria Complex Mine1991
- Vale Serra Leste Complex Mine2014
- Comisa Igarape Mine
- Vallourec Pau Branco Mine1982
- ArcelorMittal Serra Azul Mine2016
- Herculano Itabirito Mine1992
- Minerita Lagoa das Flores Mine1971
- JMN Morro dos Coelhos Mine2014
- Cedro Mina do Gama Project Mine1960
- Vetria Monjolinho Mine2005
- MMI Ipê Mine2017
- CSN Engenho Mine1950
- Usiminas Central (Mineração Usiminas Mining Complex) Mine1966
- Gerdau Várzea do Lopes Mine2006
- Usiminas West (Mineração Usiminas Mining Complex) Mine1945
- Usiminas East (Mineração Usiminas Mining Complex) Mine1973
- ArcelorMittal Andrade Mine1946
- BEMISA Baratinha Mine2014
- AVG Esperança Mine
- Vetria Laís Mine2005
- Gerdau Miguel Burnier Mine2006
- BAMIN Pedra de Ferro Mine2020
- Tombador Mine2021 · idle
- Cedro Mariana Mine2022
Who owns Brazil's iron ore mines
- Vale SA12 21%
- Cedro Mineração5 9%
- Cedro Participações SA5 9%
- Herculano Mineração Ltda4 7%
- Mineração Usiminas SA3 5%
- Sumitomo Corp3 5%
- Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA3 5%
- Anglo American Minerio de Ferro Brasil SA2 4%
Counts an asset once per company named as its owner or operator; a joint venture counts for each partner.
When they were built
- 1900s1
- 1910s1
- 1940s3
- 1950s3
- 1960s2
- 1970s4
- 1980s2
- 1990s3
- 2000s6
- 2010s10
- 2020s3
Median commissioning year 2003 · oldest LHG Urucum Mine (1903) · newest MMI Tico Tico Mine (2023) · 38 of 56 carry a start date
Under construction & proposed
- Anglo American Minas-Rio (Serpentine) Mineproposed
- Cedro Dois Irmaos Mineproposed
- Cedro Patrimonio Mineproposed
- Cedro Sape Mineproposed
- Herculano João Monlevade Mine2026 · proposed
- Herculano Serro Mine2024 · proposed
- Herculano Vila Rica Mine2025 · proposed
How Brazil compares · iron ore mines by country
- 1. India248
- 2. China201
- 3. Australia98
- 4. Brazil56
- 5. Russia31
- 6. North Korea19
- 7. Malaysia18
Frequently asked
- How many iron ore mines are there in Brazil?
- OverWatts maps 56 iron ore mines in Brazil — 6% of the world's mapped total, the 4th-largest national fleet of the 70 countries with any.
- What is the largest iron ore mine in Brazil?
- Vale Serra Norte Complex Mine, operated by Vale SA.
- Who owns the iron ore mines in Brazil?
- Vale SA is named as owner or operator on the most — 12 of 56 (21%). Next are Cedro Mineração (5), Cedro Participações SA (5) and Herculano Mineração Ltda (4).
- How old are Brazil's iron ore mines?
- The median commissioning year is 2003, across the 38 in service with a known start date. The oldest still listed is LHG Urucum Mine (1903); 6 came online in the past ten years.
- What new iron ore mines are being built in Brazil?
- 7 projects are under construction or proposed. The largest are Anglo American Minas-Rio (Serpentine) Mine, Cedro Dois Irmaos Mine and Cedro Patrimonio Mine.