Brazil’s iron ore mining giant Vale and China’s BYD have signed a letter of intent to study the electrification of light vehicles. In the coming months, assessments will be made to implement the necessary infrastructure for vehicle charging at Vale sites. During the same period, some electric models will be tested in the mining company’s operational areas, with the aim of reducing the use of cars powered by fossil fuels.
The tests began with the BYD Dolphin model and will subsequently be carried out with the recently launched Shark pickup truck. In addition to these assessments, the study envisages carrying out technical visits to Vale’s operations to check various aspects, such as charging structure, ways of using vehicles and maintenance services necessary to ensure the good performance of the fleet.
“We are happy to have BYD’s support in this initiative, which reinforces our commitment to accelerating decarbonisation, both at Vale and in our chain. We are constantly and actively looking at the market and looking for solutions that contribute in this direction,” says Marco Braga, Chief Procurement Officer and Global Inbound Logistics Director at Vale. “A complete replacement of the approximately three thousand passenger and utility vehicles that we currently have in circulation at our units in Brazil would represent a reduction in emissions of up to 10 thousand tons of greenhouse gases per year.”
“We are happy to know that, in addition to the consumer, companies are committed to making their operations more sustainable and, therefore, it is so important that we start conversations with Vale,” says Alexandre Baldy, Senior Vice President of BYD in Brazil and Head of Commercial and Marketing at BYD Auto. “For this study, we decided to start with BYD’s most recent launch, the first super-hybrid pickup truck in the country, which delivers power, technology and safety, opening a new segment among pickup trucks.”
The initiative supports Vale in achieving its goals of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect) by 33% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, related to combatting climate change.
BYD is a leader in the sale of electric vehicles in Brazil as well as the manufacture of solar energy technology. It has been expanding its operations in the country since its arrival in 2013. It has factories in Brazil for assembling 100% electric bus chassis and producing photovoltaic modules, both in Campinas (SP). It also has a unit dedicated to the production of lithium iron phosphate batteries at the Manaus Industrial Complex (AM). In addition, it imports forklifts, pallet jacks, tugs and trucks to Brazil, all 100% electric. In November 2021, the sale of passenger cars began in the country and already has several models and a consolidated network of dealerships in operation. Last year, a project began to build the Camaçari Complex, in Bahia, where the first BYD electric car factory outside Asia will be located.
