The world’s largest single-line pulp mill is now open for business, with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on hand to officially inaugurate the new mill in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul. Commissioned by Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, the total investment of R$22.2 billion ( or US $4.3 billion) marks the project as one of the most significant private investments in Brazilian history.
During the ceremony, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed the importance of responsible private investment for the country’s continued development: “We can only reap what we sow if we plant properly, clean properly, fertilize properly and water properly. This makes a forest grow,” Mr Lula da Silva said. “The Brazilian economy is expected to grow by 3.5% this year, potentially reaching 4%. It is one of the largest growth rates among all the countries in the world.”
With a capacity to produce 2.55 million tonnes of pulp every year, construction on the new mill cost more than R$22.2 billion (about US $3.1 billion), with a further R$6.3 billion (or US $1.2 billion) allocated to outbound logistics around the forestry base. First announced in May 2021, the mill – which began processing in July- employed more than 45,000 construction workers and now has more than 3,000 on-site workers, working in industrial, logistics and forestry roles – split almost 50/50 between male and female.
During the event, Beto Abreu, Suzano’s CEO, stressed that Ribas do Rio Pardo serves as a prime example of private investment delivering positive outcomes for both people and nature: “Over 45,000 people have worked here, we generate 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region. This is the type of social impact that an investment of this scale brings to the country and the state. We have an industrial complex here that can generate all the energy this hub requires in a renewable and clean manner, with enough surplus to supply all the households in Mato Grosso do Sul.”
Moreover, Mr Abreu said, “Suzano plants 1.2 million trees a day and extracts more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, serving as a tangible example of a sustainable industry,” adding that the plant will also be self-sufficient in green energy production. “This energy is enough to power a city of up to 2 million inhabitants on a month-by-month basis.”
Wood Central understands that following the launch of the new mill, Suzano’s pulp production capacity has increased from 10.9 million to 13.5 million tonnes per year, representing an increase of over 20% in the company’s current pulp production. Suzanne can produce 1.5 million tonnes of paper annually, including lines of sanitary papers, printing and writing paper, and packaging, among other products that use pulp as a raw material.
- To find out more about the pulp line, click here for Suzano’s official release.
