Water & Effluents

Water consumption is a priority factor for the environmental management of all CSN Group businesses. Water resources are essential for steelmaking, mining, cement, and energy production operations. Therefore, the Company’s focus is to increase actions and projects aimed at increasing water recirculation and reuse in all its businesses, reducing the demand for new intakes.

Water consumption control is carried out through water balance sheets of operational units in accordance with ISO 14,046, which guides the implementation of water footprint studies. This study has already been conducted at the Arcos, Casa de Pedra and UPV units.

We also operate in line with the Company’s water resources policy, which covers the steelmaking, mining, cement, logistics, and energy businesses, aiming to promote and strengthen best practices for the rational use of inherent and associated resources, in accordance with the Company’s Sustainability Policy.

In the steelmaking segment, the Usina Presidente Vargas captures water from the Paraíba do Sul river and invests in recirculation, achieving a 94% reuse rate. The UPV monitors capture and disposal in real time, in addition to voluntarily reducing its water grant by 30%, benefiting local communities.

In mining, the Casa de Pedra and Pires complexes have 47 control systems and 28 monitoring points. CSN aims to keep its water intensity below 0.45 m³ per ton of ore and has already achieved a 92% water recirculation rate at Casa de Pedra, primarily by reusing water from filtered tailings for dry stacking. Operational improvements have also optimized local water management.

In the cement segment, CSN invests in reducing consumption and reusing water, aligned with its Sustainability Policy and Environmental Management System, ensuring the minimization of impacts and efficiency in the use of water resources.

Water consumption reduction at CSN Group 5% reduction in water consumption in 2024 compared to 2023.

Water reuse and recycling: In 2024, the UPV plant achieved a 94% rate of water reuse and recycling, while CSN Mineração reached 92%.

Reduction in water intake intensity In 2024, there was a 23% reduction in water intake intensity per ton of iron ore, compared to 2023.

Participation in Watershed Committees

CSN Group also improves its water resource management by participating in committees and forums dedicated to assessing shared water usage. In these forums, in partnership with representatives from civil society, the company seeks to identify opportunities to contribute to better impact assessment and to improve its performance.

In Minas Gerais, we are part of the Paraopeba River Hydrographic Basin Committee and the CTIOAR (Technical Chamber for the Integration of Procedures, Granting Actions, and Regulatory Actions). This allows for open dialogue with members of civil society and public authorities, with the goal of supporting the management of the waters of the Paraopeba River and its tributaries. In addition to this, another eight of Group CSN’s most impactful and representative water operations also participate in hydrographic basin committees.