Biomass‑Bridging Brilliance

Tecnored operates from a São Paulo pilot plant (75,000 metric tons/year) and is now constructing its first commercial plant near Marabá, Pará. The Marabá facility aims to produce 250,000 metric tons of green pig iron annually from 2025, with expansion easily doubling capacity to 500,000 metric tons/year. Funded at ~$374 million (R$1.6 billion), it replaces metallurgical coal with biomass agglomerates, cutting emissions by up to 100 %.

Modular Metallurgy & Minimum Emissions

Tecnored’s furnace achieves iron reduction in just 20–30 minutes compared to blast furnaces’ eight hours, thanks to self-reducing briquettes packed with iron oxide and bio-char. The process operates in a compact, modular reactor under 5 m tall, eliminating coke ovens and sintering stages. It slashes particulate emissions by ~85 % and NOx by ~95 % while also reducing capital and operating costs by 10–15 % .

Flexible Fuel & Feedstock Footprint

Raw materials range from ultrafine iron ore, mill scale and blast-furnace dust to nickel residues, while fuels include biomass, thermal coal, pet coke and charcoal. Smart briquetting technology adapts to variable feed quality, allowing consistent performance even on low-grade or recycled inputs, a crucial feature for versatile steelmaking deployment .

Self‑Sustaining Synergy

The furnace recovers and reapplies all process gas for on-site cogeneration, enhancing energy self-sufficiency. Slag and by-products are sold for cement production. The reactor’s reductive process generates enough heat to pre-warm raw briquettes, minimizing external fuel needs .

Global Patents, Local Progress

Over 103 patents across 27 countries underpin Tecnored’s innovation. Vale, BNDESPar and Logos Tecnocom, through pilot plant operations in Pindamonhangaba since 2011, validated the technology’s economic and environmental viability before scaling. Plant construction began in April 2022, creating 2,000 construction jobs and expected to sustain 400 direct/indirect jobs during operation.

Strategic Industry Decarbonisation

As part of Vale's strategy to curb Scope 3 emissions by 15 % by 2035 and Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 33 % by 2030, this plant offers low-carbon pig iron to downstream steelmakers. Circular agriculture and modified operations complement Paris-aligned net-zero ambitions by 2050.

Expansive Ecosystem Integration

Beyond standalone deployment, Tecnored provides flexible integration opportunities, supplementing electric arc furnaces, revitalising blast-furnace sites, enabling small-scale mills, and recycling diverse metal residues. The Marabá project showcases how flexible, modular design supports global steel decarbonisation efforts.

4. Key Takeaways (Bullet Points)

• The Marabá plant will deliver 250,000 metric tons per year of biomass-powered green pig iron from 2025, expandable to 500,000.

• Tecnored’s compact, modular furnace uses self‑reducing briquettes and flexible feedstock to cut emissions by up to 100 %, particulate by 85 %, NOx by 95 %, and lowers cost by 10–15 %.

• Versatile raw materials, energy self-sufficiency, over 103 patents and circular economy by‑product usage make Tecnored a blueprint for sustainable steelmaking.