Samarco
Samarco Mineração S.A. is a Brazilian iron ore pellet producer — a 50/50 Vale and BHP joint venture — that runs integrated mining-to-pellet-to-port operations in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, exporting directly to global steelmakers via its own Ubu deepwater terminal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersBelo Horizonte, Brazil
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Samarco does
Samarco Mineração S.A. is a Brazilian iron ore pellet producer operating an integrated chain spanning open-pit mining at the Germano complex in Mariana (Minas Gerais), concentrators, a long-distance slurry pipeline, four pelletizing plants at the Ubu complex in Anchieta (Espírito Santo), and an owned deepwater port terminal at Ubu from which pellets are exported directly to global steelmakers across all continents. Headquartered in Belo Horizonte and jointly owned 50/50 by Vale S.A. and BHP Group since 2000, the company was paralyzed from November 5, 2015 (Fundão tailings dam collapse) through December 2020, filed for judicial recovery in April 2021, and has since executed a controlled ramp-up now operating at ~60% of installed nameplate (26 Mtpa).
The company's core product is iron ore pellets — including DR-grade pellets aimed at low-carbon direct-reduction steelmaking — alongside a portfolio of internally developed platforms (COI Maestro AI-driven operations hub, Canal de Ética ethics reporting, Samarco Comunica WhatsApp channel, Programa Indenizatório Definitivo indemnification portal). Technical differentiators include filtered dry stacking tailings disposal (no upstream tailings dams), an INPI-granted green patent (March 2026) on substituting coke/coal with renewable inputs in pellet production, and Hexagon Green Cubes digital-twin/LiDAR monitoring for biodiversity tracking at 10-cm resolution. FY2025 production reached 15.11 Mt with adjusted EBITDA of US$1.087 billion on US$1.898 billion of net revenue.
Commercially, Samarco runs a pure B2B direct-export model with no resellers or retail channels, selling on negotiated contracts via vessel loadings out of Ubu (140 ships dispatched in 2025; 500 cumulative since 2020). The company is now executing a board-approved R$13.8 billion capex programme through 2028 to restore 100% capacity utilization by 2028–2029, while simultaneously managing the Novo Acordo do Rio Doce — a 20-year, R$170 billion reparation framework homologated by Brazil's Supreme Federal Court in November 2024 that covers environmental remediation, indemnities (~R$71.9 billion disbursed since 2015, 353,000+ indemnified), and resettlement linked to the 2015 disaster, with 45,500 hectares reforested and 4,300 protected springs to date.
Samarco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Samarco
- Legal name
- Samarco Mineração S.A.
- Website
- https://samarco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Samarco Mineração S.A. is a Brazilian iron ore pellet producer — a 50/50 Vale and BHP joint venture — that runs integrated mining-to-pellet-to-port operations in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, exporting directly to global steelmakers via its own Ubu deepwater terminal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Samarco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Iron Ore Mining and Pellet Production
- NAICS
- Iron Ore Mining (212210), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)
- SIC
- Metal Mining (1000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Iron Ore Mining Support Services (Drilling, Blasting, Contract Mining, Maintenance) (IMAKAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Plant Operations, Control & Optimization (Metallurgical Accounting, APC, Digital Twins) (IMAKALAJ), Mine Infrastructure & Utilities EPC (Power, Water, Comms, Camps, Roads, Airstrips) (IMAKAOAB)
Keywords
Where Samarco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Belo Horizonte
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Samarco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Iron Ore Pellet Sales: Samarco generates revenue from producing and selling iron ore pellets and fines to steelmaking industries globally. Products are shipped via its own port terminal in Ubu (ES) and exported worldwide. Net revenue reached US$1.898 billion in 2025, with adjusted EBITDA of US$1.087 billion, a 30.3% increase from US$834 million in 2024.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Samarco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Samarco is a Brazilian mining company that operates an integrated iron ore mining and pelletizing chain in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Its core product is iron ore pellets — including DR-grade pellets for low-carbon direct reduction steelmaking — produced through concentrators at the Germano complex and pelletizing plants at the Ubu complex, then exported globally through its own dedicated port terminal to steelmaking customers. The company also operates supporting digital platforms for production optimization (COI Maestro AI) and stakeholder engagement (Canal de Ética, Samarco Comunica, Programa Indenizat\u00f3rio Definitivo).
Product overview
Samarco is a Brazilian mining company with an integrated production chain in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Its core product is iron ore pellets, including DR-grade pellets for low-carbon steelmaking via direct reduction processes. The company operates the COI Maestro AI platform as its digital command hub for production optimization, supported by various digital platforms including the Canal de Ética (ethics reporting), Samarco Comunica (WhatsApp communications), and the Programa Indenizatório Definitivo (indemnification program). Samarco utilizes Hexagon's Green Cubes digital twin technology for environmental monitoring at its operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Iron Ore Pellets Samarco's primary product: iron ore pellets produced through an integrated chain (mining → concentration → pelletizing) at the Germano complex in Minas Gerais and the Ubu complex in Espírito Santo, exported worldwide for use as raw material in steelmaking. Includes DR-grade pellets designed for low-carbon direct reduction steelmaking processes.
- COI Maestro AI Platform AI-powered digital command hub that integrates real-time data across material pipelines, inventory systems, and stockyard facilities at Samarco's pellet production operations. Uses machine learning to predict quality impacts from ore composition variations and automatically adjusts parameters for iron, silica, and phosphorus content, reducing product specification variance by 40-60%. Used internally to optimize Samarco's iron ore pellet production chain.
Quantifiable outcome
- Iron ore pellet production reached 15.11 million tonnes in 2025, a record since operations resumed in December 2020
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Samarco
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Samarco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Samarco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FUNBIO (Fundo Brasileiro para a Biodiversidade)corePartnership with FUNBIO to consolidate scientific research on the biodiversity of the Doce River Basin. Published a book compiling results from 35 research projects conducted by 21 institutions, covering 296 species. Supported over 110 research fellowships from undergraduate to post-doctoral levels, with more than 70 national and international partners.
- Casa dos VentoscoreLong-term strategic agreement with Casa dos Ventos for renewable energy supply. Agreement includes equity participation in the Serra do Tigre Wind Complex and supply of 45 MW average of renewable energy starting in 2027, strengthening Samarco's energy efficiency through wind power.
- Hexagon (via R-evolution subsidiary)coreSamarco is deploying Hexagon's Green Cubes digital twin technology using airborne LiDAR and hybrid imagery at its Gaio and Horto Alegria sites to create 3D digital twins of mining areas. The technology enables continuous ecosystem monitoring at 10-centimetre resolution for environmental compliance, biodiversity tracking, and rehabilitation progress verification.
- Mining HubminorSamarco participates in the M-Impact program through Mining Hub, connecting mining companies with startups and communities for social impact projects. Samarco holds the presidency of the Mining Hub council. The company has operationalized 4 of 12 pilots in the M-Impact program since its inception, impacting 1,035 people directly.
- Instituto MeiominorPartnered with Instituto Meio to implement the Conexão Tourism project, strengthening sustainable tourism and local entrepreneurs in Anchieta and Guarapari. Actions include forming the REGA entrepreneur network, producing a manual and digital catalog, and mapping 46 cultural elements.
- Tribunal de Justiça de Minas Gerais (TJMG) / OAB Governador ValadaresminorJudiciary-conducted conciliation mutirões (mass settlement sessions) for Dano Água (water damage) compensation claims in Governador Valadares, involving Samarco's payment of R$13,018 per eligible plaintiff under the Novo Acordo do Rio Doce. Facilitated by CEJUSC and the local OAB chapter.
- UNESCO in BrazilcoreCooperation with UNESCO in Brazil on the Citizen Science Program (Programa Ciência Cidadã) in the Doce River Basin. The project inspires Brazil's first municipal laws for citizen science and produces scientific knowledge with community participation.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Samarco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vale S.A. One of Samarco's two 50% joint venture parents and the world's largest iron ore producer, Vale also produces iron ore pellets through its own operations and competes directly with Samarco in the global seaborne pellet market.
- Cleveland-Cliffs: Largest flat-rolled steel producer and iron ore pellet producer in North America, operating six iron ore mines and pelletizing facilities in the US and Canada—a direct comparable as an integrated iron ore pellet producer serving steel customers.
- CSN Mineração: Brazilian iron ore mining subsidiary of Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, producing iron ore fines and pellets for both domestic and export markets—a direct competitor to Samarco in Brazilian and transoceanic pellet markets.
- Ferrexpo: Ukrainian-headquartered iron ore pellet producer with operations in Ukraine, supplying DR-grade and BF-grade pellets to global steelmakers—a direct comparable as a pure-play, pellet-focused iron ore producer serving global steel industry.
- LKAB: Swedish state-owned iron ore miner producing high-quality pellets including DR-grade for European steelmakers, with focus on decarbonized production methods—directly comparable to Samarco's pellet-centric, premium-grade strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Rio Tinto: Global diversified mining major with the Pilbara iron ore operations in Australia, a major producer of iron ore lumps and fines with growing pellet/hematite feed product—competes with Samarco in seaborne iron ore markets broadly.
- BHP Group: Samarco's other 50% joint venture parent and a global diversified mining major with substantial iron ore operations in Australia (Pilbara). BHP's scale and product portfolio position it as a broader incumbent versus Samarco's pellet-focused model.
- Fortescue Metals Group: Australian iron ore producer focused on hematite fines from the Pilbara/Ashburton regions—an emerging presence in green iron/hydrogen technology. Operates in the same seaborne iron ore market as Samarco, though primarily a fines rather than pellet producer.
- Anglo American (Kumba Iron Ore): Diversified mining major whose Kumba Iron Ore subsidiary in South Africa is a major iron ore producer exporting to global steelmakers—operates in the same seaborne iron ore market as Samarco with broader commodity portfolio.
Others
- ArcelorMittal: World's largest steelmaker with captive iron ore mining operations including in Mexico (Las Truchas) and Liberia—directly comparable as a vertically integrated steel-iron ore player that both consumes pellets and produces them, providing a benchmark for downstream integration value.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Samarco social profiles
Digital presenceSamarco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Samarco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Samarco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Samarco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Samarco
What does Samarco do?
Samarco is a Brazilian mining company that operates an integrated iron ore mining and pelletizing chain in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Its core product is iron ore pellets — including DR-grade pellets for low-carbon direct reduction steelmaking — produced through concentrators at the Germano complex and pelletizing plants at the Ubu complex, then exported globally through its own dedicated port terminal to steelmaking customers. The company also operates supporting digital platforms for production optimization (COI Maestro AI) and stakeholder engagement (Canal de Ética, Samarco Comunica, Programa Indenizat\u00f3rio Definitivo).
Is Samarco a public or private company?
Samarco is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Samarco founded?
Samarco was founded in 1977. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Samarco based?
Samarco is headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Samarco make money?
One revenue line is on record: iron Ore Pellet Sales.
Who are Samarco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vale S.A., Cleveland-Cliffs, CSN Mineração, Ferrexpo and LKAB. Broad incumbents are Rio Tinto, BHP Group, Fortescue Metals Group and Anglo American (Kumba Iron Ore). ArcelorMittal is listed as an others.
Does Samarco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Samarco.
What industry is Samarco in?
Samarco's product category is Iron Ore Mining and Pellet Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAAAJ, Iron Ore Mining Support Services (Drilling, Blasting, Contract Mining, Maintenance), with a secondary code of IMAKALAJ, Plant Operations, Control & Optimization (Metallurgical Accounting, APC, Digital Twins). Its NAICS code is 212210 and its SIC code is 1000.