ABB and
Vale have signed a strategic alliance to expand the use of automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies across Vale’s iron ore operations in Brazil, building on the success of the company’s Conceição II Model Plant in Itabira, Minas Gerais.
The agreement aims to improve safety, productivity, energy efficiency and sustainability by deploying advanced automation and integrated IT and operational technology systems throughout Vale’s processing operations. The companies plan to use Conceição II as a blueprint for wider adoption of digital technologies across Vale’s iron ore plants.
Opened in June, the Conceição II Model Plant is one of the flagship projects within Vale’s Mining of the Future strategy. ABB worked as consultant, systems integrator and technology provider, supporting the development, validation and scaling of advanced automation and digital solutions designed to optimise operational performance while improving reliability and sustainability.
The facility incorporates more than 100 monitoring cameras across the 11.2 million tonnes per year complex, alongside the automation of more than 7,000 instruments, including advanced sensors and measurement devices. Data intelligence systems continuously monitor and optimise more than 400 variables across the ore processing chain. Operating processes were also redesigned to predict failures and reduce the risk of unplanned shutdowns.
The project has already delivered significant results. Since implementation in 2024, Conceição II has recorded a 25% increase in productivity, a 40% rise in premium ore production for direct reduction and a 26% reduction in iron losses to tailings. Automation has also reduced the need for manual intervention in operational areas, helping to improve workforce safety.
The new alliance will extend these technologies and lessons learned to other Vale operations. The mining company believes broader deployment of automation and AI will improve process predictability, maximise resource utilisation and further reduce employee exposure to potentially hazardous tasks.
Carlos Medeiros, Vale’s vice president of operations, said: “The Model Plant Project has shown that new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, improve employee safety and increase productivity, operational efficiency and quality in mining.”
He added that Vale intends to apply those lessons across its wider operations. “Now, we are going to take this learning to other Vale operations, increasing the predictability of processes, improving the use of mineral resources and reducing people's exposure to risky activities. The initiative reinforces our new way of operating, which is increasingly safe, sustainable and data-driven, strengthening our competitiveness and preparing us for the challenges of the future.”
ABB said the agreement establishes a long-term framework for deploying a consistent approach to automation, electrification and digitalisation across multiple sites.
Joachim Braun, president of ABB’s process industries division, commented: “This new agreement with Vale represents an important milestone in our partnership. Building on the success achieved in Conceição II, we are creating a framework to deploy a consistent approach to automation, electrification and digitalisation across multiple operations.”
The partnership reflects a growing focus within the mining sector on digital transformation as producers seek to raise efficiency, improve operational resilience and reduce environmental impact. By combining real-time monitoring, AI-driven analytics and advanced process control, Vale and ABB aim to create more connected and data-led operations capable of delivering higher productivity while improving safety and sustainability performance.
For Vale, the project represents a significant step in advancing its Mining of the Future strategy, while ABB sees the agreement as an opportunity to demonstrate how automation, electrification and digital technologies can support large-scale industrial operations. With strong results already achieved at Conceição II, both companies believe the wider rollout has the potential to transform iron ore processing across Vale’s Brazilian operations in the years ahead.
Pic: Vale's Conceição II Model Plant in Itabira, Brazil