Conti expanding Brazilian mining conveyor belt capacities

Brasilia, Brazil – ContiTech AG, the industrial arm of Continental AG, is investing €25 million in expanding its conveyor belt production capacities in Brazil to meet growing demand for ‘high strength’ belts in the region.

The company is currently negotiating a tax incentive package with some states in Brazil to confirm the final location later this month, said a statement 17 Feb.

The additional capacity will aim to meet the growing need for high-strength belts, explained Hannes Friederichsen, heading the global conveying solutions activities at Continental. 

The belts, he went on to say, will have a strength higher than 6000N/mm and up to 10000 N/mm and are used in mining operations throughout the South American market.

Additionally, the company is planning to expand mixing areas to accommodate future compound demand and install a press line at the chosen plant.

“This investment will ensure that Continental can equip the chosen plant with the latest conveyor belt manufacturing technology,” said the company statement.

It will also go towards improving the plant’s ecological footprint, by making production 100% carbon neutral, he added.

According to the official the world's “largest regional market” for heavy steel cord belts is in South America, determined by the three countries Brazil, Chile and Peru. 

“With the planned expansion, we are therefore responding to the ever-rising local demand for ores like iron and copper as a result of urbanised and electrified mobility,” Friederichsen added.

ContiTech is currently supplying this market with two production sites, one in Ponta Grossa, Brazil and one in Santiago de Chile, which according to Conti is already 100% carbon neutral.