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The world?s largest ore carrier, Vale Brasil, was loaded for the first time on May 24, at Pier I at Ponta da MadeiraPort Terminal (TPPM) in São Luís, Maranhão. The ship, which was loaded with 391,000 tons of iron ore, will now sail for Asia. Vale Brasil is the latest mile- stone in Vale?s long history of investment in infrastructure, a key element for the competitiveness of Brazilian iron ore on the international market. ?We don?t stop investing and innovating. Vale?s invest- ments in infrastructure are the biggestever made in the country, resulting in ef- ficient logistics for our customers. We in- vested $9b over the last six years and, in 2011 alone, a further $5b will be invested in the integrated mine-railroad-port- shipping chain,? said Integrated Opera- tions executive director, Eduardo Bartolomeo.Vale Brasil was ordered by Vale fromDaewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engi- neering Co.in South Korea. It is the biggest ore carrier in the world, with a 400,000-ton capacity, 362-m length and 65-m width. Vale Brasil is the first of seven ore carriers ordered by Vale from the South Korean shipyard, totaling an in- vestment of $748m. Vale has also ordered 12 ships each with a capacity of 400,000 tons from theRongsheng Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Shipyardin China. These vessels, being built at the Chinese ship- yard, involve a total investment of $1.6b. A highly efficient logistics infrastruc- ture is a key element for competitiveness in the iron ore market. In order to maxi- mize the efficiency of its operations and meet growing global demand, Vale is de- veloping various initiatives to obtain economies of scale. The ordered vessels will be part of the logistical solution between the com-pany?s maritime terminals in Brazil and Asian customers. The ore carriers have a high standard of safety and will con-tribute to reducing the cost of long haul maritime transportation of iron ore tosteelmakers. Vale?s logistics innovate and raise com- petitiveness further Besides owning 19 400,000-ton ships, Vale will have an additional 16 ships with the same dimensions, which will operateexclusively for the company under long- term contracts signed with ship owner partners. These 35 ships are due to be de- livered between 2011 and 2013. ?With our fleet of our own and char- tered ships, we will be able to reducevolatility in the freight market. Volatility does not only affect the freight cost, but also the price of ore itself. As the new ships come into operation, the freight andore costs will become more stable, bene-fiting Vale and its steelmaking cus- tomers,? said José Carlos Martins. From the concept to the basic design, the engi-neering involved in the world?s biggest ore carriers is Brazilian. Developing the design represented an enormous techno-logical challenge and involved consider- able innovation, and the desired results were achieved. December 2011www.marinelink.com 23VALE Brasil World?s Largest Ore Carriers MR Dec.11 # 3 (18-24):MR Template 12/6/2011 9:38 AM Page 23