Vale Launches AI Model Plant in Itabira

Vale inaugurated its first AI-powered Model Plant at the Conceição 2 unit in Itabira, Minas Gerais, on June 10, with an annual capacity of 11.2 million tonnes. The plant achieved a 25% productivity gain and 40% increase in pellet feed output following a R$200 million investment.

Industry context: Real-time, closed-loop AI applied to industrial process control changes MLOps requirements for practitioners by shifting focus to high-frequency telemetry, model latency, and integration with control systems. According to Vale, on June 10 the company inaugurated its first AI-powered "Model Plant" at the Conceição 2 unit in Itabira, Minas Gerais, with an annual capacity of 11.2 million tonnes per year Per Vale . Per Vale, the modernisation automated roughly 7,300 instruments , added more than 100 monitoring cameras , and uses data intelligence to control and optimise over 400 process variables . Vale quotes Carlos Medeiros, its Vice President of Operations: "The model plant is more than a project: it represents a new way of operating," direct quote in Vale release . Environment & Energy Leader and other industry outlets report the plant achieved a 25% productivity gain, a 40% increase in direct reduction pellet feed output, 26% lower iron lost to tailings, and 92% water reuse. Mining Magazine reports the modernisation followed about R$200 million roughly USD 40 million of investment.