On September 11th, Vale SA announced that the company has begun the wet mineral processing operation of the Vargem Grande 1 (VGR1) project for testing, which will increase the annual iron ore production capacity of the Vargem Grande operation area in Minas Gerais state, Brazil by approximately 15 million tons. The Vargem Grande 1 project includes adjusting the water circuit and waste isolation system of VGR1, enabling the use of new equipment to restore wet mineral processing operations, with the potential to increase the average iron grade by about 2% at the plant. This project is an important step for the company towards the goal of reaching an annual iron ore production capacity of 0.34 to 0.36 billion tons by 2026, enhancing Vale SA's product portfolio quality, expanding production capacity, and strengthening operational flexibility.