en.Wedoany.com Reported - Global critical minerals supplier Vale Base Metals unveiled its operational decarbonization pathway at the Electric Mine conference held in Lisbon, Portugal. The company's Director of Decarbonization Technology, Tom Crulimans, stated that the company's long-term goal leans towards full electrification. Crulimans said: "We just need to ensure we achieve this in an appropriate manner." He also noted that the company sees the potential to reduce operational costs, but needs to balance the timing of capital investment.
Vale Base Metals is undertaking multiple initiatives to reduce emissions in its operations, particularly a diesel substitution program. The company plans to replace S500 diesel with S10 premium diesel. S500 diesel has a maximum sulfur content of 500 parts per million and is suitable for vehicles manufactured before 2012. S10 is classified as a cleaner, less polluting option. Crulimans stated: "We believe this will reduce our diesel consumption by about 7%, with associated greenhouse gas benefits."
In Brazil, Vale Base Metals is installing new technology for real-time haul truck and consumption data at the Salobo mine site and introducing an autonomous fleet. Salobo is an open-pit copper mine with estimated reserves of 1.15 billion tonnes of copper, producing copper concentrate with grades between 36% and 40%. The mine's annual processing capacity has increased from 24 million tonnes to 36 million tonnes of ore. The company is also seeking a broader portfolio of solutions, including biofuel trials, such as B30 and B50 blends. According to Vale, these fuels can reduce emissions by up to 35% compared to the diesel currently consumed. The company is simultaneously researching high-ethanol fuel alternatives and electrification using 100% renewable grid power.
In Canada, Vale Base Metals continues to build on decades of electrification experience in the Sudbury region. As of 2026, over 40 electric vehicles are operating at the company's Sudbury operations. Crulimans explained he has had "very good experience" with fast-charging battery swaps, and operators appreciate the cleaner, more spacious working environment. Although full electrification remains the long-term goal, the company is taking a pragmatic approach, balancing emissions reduction with capital discipline, operational risk, and technology timelines. Crulimans stated the company has studied hundreds of different opportunities over the past five to six years. The Electric Mine conference brought together over 750 delegates from more than 35 countries, along with 95 expert speakers and 150 mining representatives.
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