Ero Copper commercial production begins at Tucumã mine in Brazil

Ero Copper

Ramp-up performance and capacity

Ero Copper commercial production at Tucumã began on 1 July in Pará. The open-pit mine has reached sustained throughput above 75% of design. A third filter press and process upgrades supported the milestone.

Recent output confirms a steady ramp-up at Tucumã. Second-quarter production was about 6,400 tonnes of copper. About 2,000 tonnes were produced in late June alone. Recoveries and concentrate grades meet or exceed design targets.

Installed equipment enables further throughput gains in coming months. Therefore, Ero Copper expects higher production in the second half.

Market impact and outlook

Ero Copper commercial production adds new Brazilian supply to the copper market. Strong recoveries improve cash costs and revenue per tonne. Meanwhile, consistent grades support reliable concentrate marketing. Sustained ramp-up will guide 2025 guidance and contract planning.

The Metalnomist Commentary

Commercial status de-risks Tucumã’s contribution and improves visibility on unit costs. Watch bottleneck management, tailings handling, and grade control through ramp-up.

Fatality at Copper Plant Halts Operations, Ero

A light-duty truck collision at Canadian mining company Ero Copper's Brazilian copper facility resulted in the death of one employee and temporarily suspended operations. The company confirmed the employee's death after the accident at the Caraiba facility.

The company immediately suspended operations, but they are set to resume today, it added.

A second employee is in critical condition. The details of the incident are under investigation.

Caraiba processes ore into 32-35% copper concentrate from its mill, drawing on the nearby Pilar and Vermelhos underground mines and the Surubim open pit mine.

Ero estimated copper in concentrate production for the mine at 42,000-47,000 metric tons for 2024, which would represent as much as a 7.2% increase from the 43,857 tons produced in 2023.

Vale Base Metals and Ero Copper Forge Partnership for Brazilian Copper Project

Vale Base Metals (VBM) and Canada’s Ero Copper have entered into a strategic agreement to develop the Furnas copper project in northern Brazil, aiming to enhance copper output. Ero Copper acquired a 60% stake in the project from VBM's subsidiary, Salobo Metais, as part of an earn-in agreement initiated last October. 

The project, located in the Carajas mountains—a key region for copper and iron ore production—will undergo exploration drilling over the next five years. Upon completion of the drilling and a feasibility study, the companies will form a joint venture, granting VBM an 11% "free carry" on certain capital expenditures related to project development.

Ero Copper had previously outlined that this agreement would proceed in three phases following its signing. The companies aim to maximize the potential of the Furnas deposit. VBM expressed its enthusiasm for collaborating closely with Ero Copper to evaluate the deposit’s potential.