A belt conveyor comprising a conveyor belt, a traction drum and an idler drum arranged at the longitudinal ends of the conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt is suitable for the dry handling of bulk material even at high temperature, such as for example DRI ( Direct Reduced Iron) outgoing from reducing oven/reactor, which conveyor belt is of closed-path type and comprises: ▪ a plurality of transport plates (50; 500), in particular made of metal, defining a transport surface for the material in a forward run of the conveyor belt itself, which plates (50; 500) are arranged in sequence along a transport longitudinal direction, wherein each plate (50; 500) bears a first and a second (56; 560) longitudinal end portion at which, in said forward run, it is respectively superimposed on an adjacent plate arranged upstream of the sequence with respect to the transport longitudinal direction and placed under an adjacent plate arranged downstream in such sequence; and ▪ an annular structure for connecting said plates (50; 500), such annular structure being a net-like element made of metal, which annular structure is arranged, in said forward run, below said plates (50; 500), which annular structure acts as motion transmission organ and connects two drums arranged at longitudinal ends of the conveyor belt, wherein at least one of said plates (50; 500) has, at said first longitudinal portion superimposed to an adjacent plate or at said second longitudinal portion (56; 560) placed under an adjacent plate, a cross section with decreased thickness (s) with respect to a remaining portion of the plate itself, in such a way that step-like profiles at the contact between the conveyor belt and its supporting rollers are eliminated or reduced and that mechanical interference between said lower surface and an end edge of the adjacent plate during rotation on the drums is eliminated, and wherein said connection between each plate and said annular structure is obtained in a plate region distinct from said first and second (56; 560) longitudinal portion of superimposing/placing under adjacent plates, characterized in that each one of said plates, in said first or second longitudinal portion, has a tapered section, or chamfer, with thickness (s) decreasing towards the end portion of the plate, wherein said chamfer has a chamfer angle (α) greater than or equal to a maximum rotation angle (Δ) of each plate around a drum (201, 202) of the belt conveyor, and wherein said chamfer has a longitudinal length equal to a superimposing/placing-under run of the plates. ▪ a plurality of transport plates (50; 500), in particular made of metal, defining a transport surface for the material in a forward run of the conveyor belt itself, which plates (50; 500) are arranged in sequence along a transport longitudinal direction, wherein each plate (50; 500) bears a first and a second (56; 560) longitudinal end portion at which, in said forward run, it is respectively superimposed on an adjacent plate arranged upstream of the sequence with respect to the transport longitudinal direction and placed under an adjacent plate arranged downstream in such sequence; and ▪ an annular structure for connecting said plates (50; 500), such annular structure being a net-like element made of metal, which annular structure is arranged, in said forward run, below said plates (50; 500), which annular structure acts as motion transmission organ and connects two drums arranged at longitudinal ends of the conveyor belt,