IN LISBON: Global critical minerals supplier Vale Base Metals is aiming to cut emissions in a business dominated by electricity and hard-to-abate industrial processes.
Speaking at the Electric Mine Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, technical director for decarbonisation Tom Krumins says the company’s long-term ambitions are favouring full electrification.
“We just need to make sure that we get there appropriately,” Krumins says.
“We’re seeing the potential of operating cost savings. We just need to balance timing in the capital.”
But in the meantime, Krumins says the company has various activities underway, specifically on a diesel substitution program — replacing S500 diesel with S10 premium.
S500 diesel has a slightly higher sulphur content in comparison to S10 premium. S500 contains a maximum of 500 parts per million of sulphur and is intended for vehicles manufactured before 2012.
On the other hand, S10 is classified as a cleaner and less polluting option and is known for offering better engine performance and more efficient burning, resulting in fuel savings for vehicles using this type of diesel.
“We think this is going to get us about a 7% reduction in our diesel consumption, along with associated greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits,” Krumins says.
“When it comes to carbon, we’re looking at opportunities to reduce, so where can we drive efficiencies and innovation to reduce our energy waste.”
Brazil
Vale Base Metals is also installing new technology for real-time haul truck and consumption data, as well as introducing an autonomous fleet at its Salobo operations in Brazil.
Salobo is a copper open-pit mine with an estimated reserve of 1.15 billion tonnes of copper. The mine produces copper concentrate with a grade between 36 and 40%.
The deposit combines high-production volume with sustainable practices, including 70% self-sufficient energy use and gnarly 100% water reuse. The operation’s annual processing capacity increased from 24 million tonnes to 36 million tonnes of ore.
Here, Vale Base Metals is pursuing a broader mix of solutions. These include biofuel trials, including B30 and B50 blends, which can reduce emissions by up to 35% compared to the diesel currently consumed, according to Vale SA (NYSE:VALE).
The company is also investigating high-ethanol fuel substitutions and electrification leveraging 100% renewable grid power.
Canada
In underground mining, Vale Base Metals is building on decades of electrification experience in Sudbury, Canada.
The company’s Sudbury operations have been active for more than 140 years, with mining starting at the Totten Mine back in 1883.
Vale Base Metals’ Sudbury operations — one open-pit mine, five underground mines, plus a mill, smelter, and refinery — encompass an integrated operation which allows the company to deliver the right mix of low-carbon, high-purity specialised products for its customers.
As of 2026, more than 40 electric vehicles are in operation with strong operator support driven by performance benefits such as high torque and improved working conditions.
Krumins explains that he has had “great experience” with fast-charging battery swaps and operators are liking the cleaner, wider operation.
Decarbonisation
While full electrification remains the long-term ambition, Vale Base Metals is taking a pragmatic approach — balancing emissions reduction with capital discipline, operational risk, and technology timelines.
The company’s strategy reflects a broader industry shift of a more integrated, iterative decarbonisation pathway.
Crucially, flexibility is built into the road map, as Krumins says the company has spent the past five to six years looking at hundreds of different opportunities.
“Narrowing those down to short lists, we’ve been able to really classify them by the benefit for the company, as well as the complexity and how we’re going to approach them,” he says.
With mining operations centred in Canada and Brazil, alongside refining assets in Wales and Japan and investments in Indonesia, Vale Base Metals operates across the full value chain. From extraction through to class one nickel, cobalt, and copper products.
That integration, while strategically valuable, can complicate decarbonisation efforts.
Despite this, Krumins explains that Vale Base Metals has positioned itself as a relatively low-carbon producer, with more than 90% of output sitting in the lowest quartile of carbon intensity — particularly at its class one nickel and copper concentrate.
Vale Base Metals is a subsidiary of Vale SA, specialised in producing nickel, copper, and cobalt to support the global energy transition.
The Electric Mine Conference brings together more than 750 delegates across 35+ countries, as well as 95 expert speakers and 150 mining delegates. It serves as an essential platform for companies involved in the mine electrification transition to showcase future-proofed solutions that enable companies to achieve their interim and final emissions targets by 2050.
Mining.com.au is in attendance and on the floor at this year’s event.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Vale Base Metals
