Samarco

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.

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

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

• Iron ore pellets
• Mining operations
• Pellet production
• Steelmaking raw materials
• Commodity export

Headquarters

HQ city

Belo Horizonte

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FUNBIO (Fundo Brasileiro para a Biodiversidade)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership 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 VentoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Long-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)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Samarco 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 HubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2026Samarco 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 MeiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Partnered 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 ValadaresminorOthers · 1 February 2026Judiciary-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 BrazilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cooperation 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/Samarco_Oficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/samarco
• Facebookfacebook.com/SamarcoMineracao
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samarco
• Instagraminstagram.com/samarco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samarco