Fire at Pier in Northern Brasil causes problems for Vale
Following a fire at one of their shiploaders may cause delay in deliveries.

A fire at Vale's Pier 4S shiploader at the Ponta da Madeira Sea Terminal (TPPM) in Maranhão state - where the company ships high-grade Carajas ore - could impact the company's iron ore shipping capacity. Ponta da Madeira is one of Vale's key assets and one of the most important iron ore and manganese loading terminals in the world. The terminal has a loading capacity of around 230 million tons per year and is also one of the only ports in the country suitable for the ultra-large Valemax ships. Vale has 5 piers in Ponta da Madeira with a loading capacity of around 230 million tons. Only one pier was hit by the fire and it could be out of service for several months. The fire broke out on Jan. 14, and Vale said it was contained, there were no injuries or environmental damage, and that the terminal's operations continued. A source in Ponta da Madeira - Vale's main port - explained that the ship loader boom used at Pier 4S has been hit and may need to be replaced, which could take over six months to arrive from China . The work will be carried out by Vale and the Danish engineering company FLSmidth. A shutdown could cut Vales iron ore shipping capacity from Ponta da Madeira by 32 million tons in 2021, sources say. The company explained that the terminal will continue to operate with no impact on monthly ore shipping schedules. "There are more questions now than answers, but there could clearly be some implications for iron ore markets and prices in the future," BTG Pactual said in a note. On Tuesday afternoon, TPPM was in operation with a shipping capacity of 13-14 mt / month.





