Independent power producer Vistra said it would shutter seven plants, while Peabody and Arch Resources scrapped a planned JV aimed at cutting production costs.
The São Miguel Paulista refinery had a production capacity of 25,000 mtpa of nickel and 2,000 mtpa of cobalt before it was placed on care and maintenance in 2016.
Country still takes baby steps when it comes to research and exploration compared to major producers like Canada and Australia, or even neighbors Chile and Peru.