HOME > Project History/Overview > Trombetas Bauxite Mine

In 1967, large-scale and high-quality bauxite reserves were discovered in the Trombetas River basin, about 100 km upstream from the mouth of the Amazon River, in the western part of Pará state, Brazil. The Mineração Rio do Norte, in which Vale S.A. was a major shareholder, started the exploration of the Trombetas Bauxite Mine in 1976, and the first shipment of Trombetas bauxite ore was made from the Trombetas port in August, 1979. The Trombetas Bauxite Mine currently has an annual production capacity of 18 million tons (as of 2016), in five mining areas. The world’s top quality bauxite ore of Trombetas Mine makes it possible for ALUNORTE to produce high-quality alumina and subsequently for ALBRAS to produce high-quality aluminium ingot.