VLI invests $31.82 million in terminal in the BHMA

The Valor da Logística Integrada (VLI), a subsidiary company of Vale S/A, is completing the deployment of the largest multimodal terminal for steel products in Latin America, in the city of Santa Luzia, in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area (BHMA). Budgeted at $31.82 million, the project will be used in the transshipment of production from plants in the Vale do Aço and will enable the removal of approximately 300 trucks from the BR-381 highway daily.

The project called Santa Luzia Integrator Terminal comprises a shed with 10,250 square meters, paved courtyard, two overhead cranes, three gantries and one reverse loop. The terminal will have an annual capacity of 2 million tons of steel products such as heavy plates, coils, among others. In addition, 4 million tons of supplies for the plants will pass through the project.

According to the company, the freight will be transported to the terminal through Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica (FCA), owned by VLI, and through Vitória to Minas Railroad (EFVM), owned by Vale, by means of an agreement signed by the two companies for general freight transportation. From the terminal on BHMA, the freight will be transported by truck primarily to cities of the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

According to VLI, the main objective is to centralize in Santa Luzia the steel freight that comes from Vale do Aço and are destined for BHMA. Before the investment, products were distributed at various terminals. The project will allow gains in productivity and agility for the logistics of the region, reducing the service time to the shippers of the steel field in 48 hours, it says in a statement.

The use of rail transport will also increase the volume of transported freight originating from the cities of Ipatinga and João Monlevade, and thereby the terminal will contribute to remove about 300 heavy trucks per day from the BR-381 highway. Moreover, the better logistics organization for the transportation of steel products will also enable relieve the Belo Horizonte’s railroad branch and improve the flow of other freight from the interior of Brazil.

Jobs – According to the company, 280 direct jobs and 680 indirect jobs were generated for the construction of the terminal. For the operation of the terminal, 175 direct jobs and 580 indirect jobs will be generated.

The logistics company did not disclose the clients that will be served. However, companies such as Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais S/A (Usiminas), with plant in the city of Ipatinga, and ArcelorMittal do Brasil, in the city of João Monlevade, are installed in the Vale do Aço.

VLI includes FCA and North-South Railroad, as well as transport contracts with EFVM and the Carajás Railroad (EFC). The company also operates several terminals in the country, such as the Port Integrator Terminal Luiz Antonio Mesquita, in the city of Santos (state of São Paulo).

In Minas Gerais, the company is responsible for Araguari Integrator Terminal (Araguari IT) in the Triângulo Mineiro, which is the second largest grain transshipment and fertilizer receipt and storage terminal in Latin America. The Araguari IT has the capacity to store 120,000 tons of grain. In addition, 44,000 tons of fertilizer can be stored in the terminal.