Pellet plant, Samarco (Brazil)

Samarco P4P in Brazil is the world’s largest iron ore pelletizing plant, with an annual design capacity of 9.25 million metric tons. The plant’s startup in 2014 raised Samarco’s total production capacity to 30.5 million metric tons per year, making it a major global producer and reflecting nearly five decades of ongoing collaboration between the companies

The Samarco 4 (P4P) pelletizing plant, located in Ponta Ubu, Anchieta, Brazil, represents the largest iron ore pelletizing plant in the world. Designed and delivered by Metso, the plant features an induration furnace with a surface area of 816 m² and a design capacity of 9.25 million metric tons of high-grade iron ore pellets per year. The startup of P4P in 2014 increased Samarco’s total nominal pellet production capacity to 30.5 million metric tons per year, positioning Samarco as the second largest iron ore pellet producer globally within 35 years of its founding. 

The scope of the Samarco 4 project included the engineering, delivery, and commissioning of the world’s largest pelletizing furnace, integrating advanced process technology to achieve industry-leading standards in productivity, product quality, and sustainability. In July 2023, P4P set a world record for single-furnace monthly production, reaching 811,143 tons, which extrapolates to an annualized output of 9.1 million tons.

Samarco Mineração S.A., a joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton, operates four pelletizing plants at the Ponta Ubu site. All plants were supplied by Metso or its predecessors, each setting new benchmarks for furnace size and capacity at the time of delivery:

• P1P (1977): 704 m², 5 million t/year
• P2P (1995): 744 m², 6 million t/year
• P3P (2005): 768 m², 7 million t/year
• P4P (2011): 816 m², 9.25 million t/year

Currently we are supporting Samarco in the re-commissioning of the two oldest plants. This long-standing partnership has spanned nearly five decades, with continuous collaboration to push technological boundaries and support operational excellence. The production record achieved by Samarco demonstrates its status as the world’s largest single-site pellet producer, underscoring the success of this enduring cooperation.