Sustainable management of a mining project involves an integrated, long-term vision across all stages of a mine's life cycle, to minimize risks and mitigate impacts, ensuring the physical, chemical, and biological stability of the territory, in order to promote reintegration with the communities.
Therefore, mine closure and the corresponding provision are structured concurrently with the operation, encompassing all stages associated with mining activity (research and prospecting, implementation, operation and closure), and not limited to the cessation of activities.
All of our operations have mine closure plans that comply with the best practices recommended by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and the mining legislation in force in Brazil.
Actions to reintegrate the environment into its natural habitat, including decommissioning and asset decharacterization works, among others, are in addition to projects for the future use of these territories. These projects also aim at territorial development, and all mine closure actions and the progressive rehabilitation of the units are monitored by Vale.
Future use initiatives aim to redefine post-mining areas, aligning territorial vocations, socioeconomic aptitudes, and the sustainable use of existing resources, with the creation and generation of shared value between the company and society.
In summary, our objectives in closing a mine and its future use are:
- To establish strategies that promote progressive closure and, consequently, the mitigation of risks, to comply with national and international best practices for mine closure, returning a stabilized territory for other uses and enhancing territorial development.
- To identify future land use scenarios that are compatible with the environmental and socioeconomic characteristics of the areas, seeking to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive ones.
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Stages of a mine's life cycle
Our management approach
Our commitment to contributing alongside society and public authorities to the future use of the territories where our projects are located is aligned with our business strategy, commitments and purposes, and our corporate policy of..Sustainability and corporate governance in relation to the topic.
Vale reorganized the structure of its mine closure management, which was incorporated into the mining planning area, responsible for the technical management of mining rights in the Iron Ore Solutions area. With this move, the two themes – technical management and closure – will be addressed together with the long-term planning of the units, in order to ensure that operations are carried out sustainably and responsibly from the opening of the mine to its closure.
In 2023, we implemented an Executive Committee on mine closure and future use, aiming to strengthen the integration between technical processes and sustainability principles in integrating the progressive closure agenda and opportunities for future use implementation in the post-mining phase. This integrated approach is essential to ensuring positive outcomes and a lasting legacy for the territories where we operate.
We are committed to national and international guidelines on the subject, working in mine closure planning alongside operations to identify priorities and synergies for the closure and/or continuation of mining. The Asset Retirement Obligation establishes technical criteria for the financial provision for all assets that have a tangible long-term useful life.
In 2025, the Company consolidated important advances in its mine closure agenda, reaffirming progressive closure as a strategic pillar throughout the entire lifecycle of its assets. During the period, the provision for asset decommissioning (ARO) recorded USD 218 million was executed in progressive and definitive closure activities. We have a provision. of USD 3.6 billions for the execution of future closure activities. The cost estimate for all structures is reviewed annually to reflect the current asset status.
218 million
Investments made in 2025 in permanent closure activities3.6 billion
provisions for future and phased closure activitiesDecommissioning is the process of the structure's life cycle that is related to the closure of activities, with the aim of promoting physical, chemical and biological stability. Decommissioning can be carried out at the end of a mine’s lifecycle (full decommissioning and future use) or progressively (over the useful life of the mine).
On an annual basis, Vale prepares and revises cost estimates for decommissioning (pits, stockpiles, dams, mine facilities, etc.). These funds are used in measures to mitigate geotechnical and environmental impacts and rehabilitate disturbed land at the end of the mine’s lifecycle, reclaiming it for other land uses.
Our Asset Retirement Obligations (ARO) are disclosed in our financial reports in accordance with International Accounting Standard (IAS) 37. As a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Vale is also subject to the regulations of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act. These regulations require that we uphold high standards of transparency, financial accountability and rigorous internal controls over our financial transactions and reports.
Social Engagement
Regarding stakeholder engagement for Mine Closure and Future Use, discussions are incorporated into all stages of the project lifecycle. In this sense, the engagement plan for Closure encompasses the entire history of stakeholder relationships and engagement throughout the previous stages of the project. SLoM (Sustainable Life of Mine).
Support to Territorial Development for Mine Closure and Future Use:
Territorial development is based on several premises, such as: (i) understanding the social context of the territory with internal and external information, from a systemic and integrated perspective, (ii) building the social capacity of stakeholders, (iii) promoting intersectoral partnerships between companies (private sector), public authorities (governments) and civil society, (iv) fostering economic diversification, equal social opportunities, and (v) environmental preservation and recovery, aligned with the company's business plan.
Future Use
The approach is based on a methodology with four main pillars: To know, To conceive, To make feasible and Implement. We highlight the first one, To know, in which the capabilities of the territories and the entire process of listening and engaging with the different stakeholders are the basis for the development of the other pillars. It is also important to highlight that our planning integrates environmental management and recovery actions with the promotion of economic diversification. This involves, for example, support and partnerships for ecotourism, environmental education, new ventures and services, while simultaneously ensuring the preservation of all human rights involved.
These four pillars are subdivided into stages that represent divergent and convergent processes, following the model known as Double Diamond, with the aim of expanding opportunities for future use. This approach can be applied to different assets or parts of the territory and presupposes the concept of Progressive Future Use, which means that as assets are gradually closed and areas are freed up, specific future uses can be implemented.
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Methodology for Future Use Projects
Mine closure and Future Use initiatives
We operate with an annual cycle of planning and executing actions for the progressive closure of assets and conducting studies on the potential of these territories. Among the projects, the Águas Claras Mine (MAC) in Minas Gerais and the Igarapé Bahia Mine in Pará stand out.
Engagement with stakeholders was intensified through structured transparency and dialogue initiatives. Among the highlights was the holding of the first Public Meeting of the Environmental Closure Plan for the Águas Claras Mine (MAC), in Nova Lima (MG), which brought together around 350 participants, including representatives from communities, public authorities, academia and civil society. The meeting presented technical premises, closure scenarios, mitigation actions, and proposals for future use of the area. The meeting was part of a broad public consultation process, which included the prior provision of information, the collection of contributions, and the formal recording of questions and recommendations. More than 11,000 people participated in the process of listening to and co-creating proposals for the area.
Restoring biodiversity
Igarapé Bahia Mine
Situated within the Carajás Mineral Province, in the municipality of Parauapebas (PA), the Igarapé Bahia Mine illustrates Vale’s commitment to preserving natural ecosystems and rehabilitating mine sites. After a decade of operations, the mine was shut down in 2022.
Certain existing structures will be repurposed for a new copper mining project at the same site. Approximately 200 hectares are currently undergoing future use and environmental rehabilitation. Most of the seeds used for rehabilitation have been sourced from over 60 native species indigenous to the region.
Águas Claras Mine (MAC) Future Use Project
The Águas Claras Mine (MAC) is located in the municipality of Nova Lima,in the Serra do Curral, a region of historical, cultural and social importance.
for the state of Minas Gerais. After 30 years of operation by Minerações Brasileiras Reunidas (MBR), its activities were terminated in 2002. In 2006, the project was acquired by Vale and is currently undergoing mine closure and geotechnical stabilization works, as well as the development of studies on the potential and limitations for future multiple uses, which willTransform it into a sustainable legacy.
MAC's location is strategic, serving multiple interests for the entire metropolitan region. The local reality is complex, with a plurality of actors and interests: there is a presence of gated communities of
high-end areas, clusters and neighborhoods with strong commercial activity, as well as rural areas and environmentally relevant preservation in regards to water resources.
In 2020, Vale initiated the MAC Project for Future Use of the venture by conducting a perception survey with 605 people from the stakeholder group, including the local community.We identified the potential and limitations of future land use, as well as society's expectations regarding the area.
Photographer: Marcelo Rosa
The result indicated an increase in the value of the region's natural capital as protagonist of the future use process. There is potential for social use in the areas of ecotourism, leisure, conservation and environmental education, real estate developments and services.
The next steps involve detailing scenarios and enabling future use, following up on the engagement and implementation of the mapped actions. The following activities have already been carried out at the unit:
- A study of perceptions for the participatory construction of future usage scenarios.
- A study of local development aimed at understanding the socioeconomic and cultural dynamics of the territory.
Photo: Vale's Archive
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