Brazilian miner Vale plans to spend US$3bn on logistics in 2009, state news service Agência Estado reported. The resources, which represent 21.3% of the firm's total 2009 investments, will be used to expand and improve railroads and port terminals, to purchase locomotives and wagons, and for ship building.

""Infrastructure and logistics expansion is fundamental to facilitate the growth of our activities,"" the company said in a release. Among the projects is adding 546km to the Estrada de Ferro Carajás railroad, the construction of an additional 104km of railroads, bridges, viaducts, tunnels and loading systems, as well as the purchase of 5,540 wagons and 70 locomotives.

Vale also has an expansion plan for Ponta da Madeira port, in Maranhão state, which includes investments in four new wagon lifts, storage patios, port handling equipment, a loading dock, ship loaders and the construction of a fourth pier with two berths.

To transport iron ore produced in the southeast, the company is developing the southeast corridor project which should be ready in the first half of 2009. The corridor aims to increase the capacity of the Vítoria-Minas railway that connects the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state to the Tubarão port in Espiríto Santo state. Vale will invest $163mn in 2009 in this project, the report said.

A total US$107mn will be invested in 2009 to begin the 165km Litorãnea Sul railroad project to access Ubu port in Espiríto Santo state. The entire project is expected to cost US$935mn and final investments should be made in the first half of 2012.

The miner is also investing in the construction of 12 ships made specifically for iron ore transport. The total cost is US$1.7bn, and US$154mn is scheduled for 2009. The first ship should be delivered in the first half of 2011 and the remaining ones in the following year. The company strategy is to provide competitive logistics solutions for the transport of iron ore between ports in Brazil and Asia, the firm's largest market.