The new mill worth USD 4.3 billion, located at Ribas do Rio Pardo municipality of Mato Grosso do Sul state in Brazil, having a pulp production capacity of 2.55 million TPA, has increased Suzano’s installed pulp production capacity by 20 percent, from 10.9 million TPA to 13.5 million TPA.
Dec 19, 2024
Suzano has officially inaugurated the world’s largest single-line pulp mill at Ribas do Rio Pardo municipality of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, having an annual pulp production capacity of 2.55 million TPA, entailing an investment of USD 4.3 billion. This marks the largest investment in Suzano’s 100-year history and represents one of the largest private investments in Brazil in recent years.
The Ribas do Rio Pardo unit will be self-sufficient in green energy production, with a surplus of approximately 180 MW on average, which will serve the satellite suppliers of the mill and contribute to the National Interconnected System (SIN). This energy from a renewable source is enough to power a city of up to 2 million inhabitants monthly. It will also be one of the few pulp mills in the world to run without fossil fuels, based on a raw material of 100 percent planted trees.
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With the start of operations at the new unit, Suzano’s installed pulp production capacity increased from 10.9 million TPA to 13.5 million TPA, representing an increase of over 20 percent in the company’s current pulp production. The new unit also contributed to the increase in Suzano’s production capacity in Mato Grosso do Sul. The leading global pulp producer now has three mills, with a total pulp capacity of 5.8 million TPA.
The mill has the smallest structural average radius of the forest base among Suzano’s operations, totaling 65 km between the planting areas and the mill. This unique feature minimizes logistical costs and the environmental impact associated with the transportation of pulp and wood. It also significantly reduces the use of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases.
Mr. Beto Abreu, CEO of Suzano, said the mill serves as a prime example of private investment delivering positive outcomes for both people and nature. “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,” he added.
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Suzano also has the annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes for papers, including the lines of sanitary papers, writing & printing paper, and packaging, among other products that use pulp as a raw material.