The first commercial hydrometallurgical facility using CESL Technology was constructed by Vale in the Carajás region of Brazil.

Vale Copper Facility

Vale constructed a 10,000 tonne per year CESL copper plant that was operated in the Carajás region of Brazil. The plant was intended to be a prototype, supporting construction of a much larger plant to process nearby concentrates from future Vale projects.

The plant was successfully able to meet all objectives including training personnel in the region and demonstrating the technology on a commercial scale. This was the first commercial hydrometallurgical facility using CESL technology. CESL process engineers and metallurgists actively supported the operations on-site in Brazil.

Location of the Vale Copper Facility