Sustainability in Nickel Projects: 50 Years of Experience at Vale Inco

摘要

The first eight years of this century saw rapid growth in the consumption and production of nickel and related commodities. In response to growth in the BRIC countries, especially China, new projects, many in underdeveloped countries, were initiated. Nickel pig iron, produced in aging Chinese blast furnaces, unexpectedly emerged. Simultaneously, scientists concluded that global warming is "unequivocal" and human activity is the main driver, "very likely" (>90 percent ) causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950.l These factors point to a future in which sustainable development becomes of paramount interest to the mining and metallurgy industry. To the practicing metallurgist and operator, "sustainability" may appear as keeping employees safe, meeting prevailing environmental regulations and contributing to social programs contractually agreed to, while maintaining a low-cost operation that meets production and financial targets. But this is a highly simplified view that ignores many of the sustainability concepts.