IMnI in Brazil: thank you to Grupo Maringa and Gerdau!

Thank you to Grupo Maringá, Itapeva, Brazil, for giving the IMnI HSE Committee the opportunity to visit their plant and facilities as we held our hybrid HSE Committee meeting on-site.

Grupo Maringá’s Itapeva plant produces SiMn and HC FeMn using five electric reduction furnaces (56.2 MVA). The plant is powered by six small hydropower plants with a 12 MW installed capacity, covering approximately 30% of its energy needs, with the remainder supplied through long-term contracts with renewable energy providers. Additionally, the plant utilizes bio-reductant from wood harvested from the company’s own 5,000-hectare eucalyptus forest. Innovative technologies, such as gas burners, are employed to reduce emissions during bio-reductant production, while their reforestation efforts contribute to carbon capture.

The day before visiting the Maringá installation, we had the pleasure of being hosted by the Gerdau São Paulo Araçariguama steel mill. We had an insightful tour of their operations and facilities, as well as a session focused on state-of-the-art safety and sustainability initiatives, and their continuous journey toward improvement in these areas.

The IMnI HSE Committee is deeply impressed by these remarkable showcased sustainability efforts! A special acknowledgment goes to all the in-person participants who made the long journey to be part of these two enriching days of the event.