Suzano starts construction of a new Tissue paper mill in Aracruz, Brazil
With an investment of R$ 650 million, the project is scheduled to start operations in the first quarter of 2026, with a production capacity of 60 thousand tons per year
Suzano, a global reference in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from eucalyptus cultivation, received representatives from the Espírito Santo State Government, the Legislative Assembly, the Aracruz City Hall and several civil society institutions on Thursday, the 18th, for the ceremony that marked the launching of the cornerstone of the tissue paper mill in the municipality. The company is investing R$ 650 million in the project which, in addition to the production of paper, will also convert it into toilet paper, placing Aracruz on the list of Brazilian municipalities with production of these items and adding value to the production chain.
The paper mill is part of an investment package announced by the company last year for Espírito Santo, amounting to R$ 1.17 billion. This includes the new biomass boiler, a project already underway, which will increase the mill’s energy efficiency, contributing to operational stability. The new boiler will also result in environmental benefits compared to the existing equipment, by reducing the emission of particulate matter and taking advantage of the burning of wood residues.
The launching of the cornerstone of the tissue paper mill brought together in Aracruz the current and future CEO of Suzano, Walter Schalka and Beto Abreu, respectively. Schalka emphasized that Suzano began producing tissue paper six years ago and today is the market leader in the segment. “Aracruz is a competitive plant and has the potential to be even more, we are only 2 km from Portocel,” he said, referring to the port where production is transported.
Present at the groundbreaking ceremony, Governor Renato Casagrande highlighted the evolution of Suzano in Espírito Santo in recent years, adding value to the production. He emphasized the importance of strengthening industrial activity for economic growth. “Having a company like Suzano is an important step for Espírito Santo to have a prominent position in the industrial panorama.” The governor also added that, by producing consumer goods, the company increases tax revenue in Espírito Santo, contributing to strengthening the state.
VERTICALIZATION
Suzano’s Consumer Goods and Corporate Relations Director, Luís Bueno, pointed out that the implementation of the new mill in Aracruz marks the verticalization of the pulp industry in the state, which will now have its entire production chain here: from the eucalyptus plantation to the final product. Espírito Santo already converts tissue into toilet paper at the Cachoeiro de Itapemirim plant and, with the new mill, will also begin to produce tissue paper in the state.
The plant to be built in Aracruz will be the seventh in the Suzano Consumer Goods Unit and the second in Espírito Santo: the company already has tissue production and conversion plants in the municipalities of Mogi das Cruzes (SP), Mucuri (BA), Imperatriz (MA) and Belém (PA), in addition to exclusive conversion units in the municipalities of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (ES) and Maracanaú (CE). In Aracruz, 60 thousand tons per year of tissue paper will be produced, increasing the installed capacity of the Suzano Consumer Goods unit to 340 thousand tons per year.
The production will become 30 thousand tons per year of toilet paper of the Mimmo, Max Pure and Neve brands, which are also produced in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, and will primarily supply the markets of the Southeast region (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo). The mill in the south of the state, which also has a production capacity of 30 thousand tons per year and is supplied with tissue from other units, will begin to use the paper produced in Aracruz.
BOOSTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY
During the construction period, the new plant will generate 300 jobs. After the start of production, scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, approximately 200 employees, both direct and indirect, will work at the unit. As with the start of production at the Cachoeiro de Itapemirim unit, Suzano will work with specialized institutions to train the workers who will work at the new plant, giving priority to hiring people from the region near the project.
The mayor of Aracruz, Dr. Coutinho, also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant and highlighted the importance of Suzano’s presence in the municipality as part of an important economic chain for the generation of jobs and taxes. The future CEO of Suzano, Beto Abreu, emphasized the importance of a good business environment for the company’s investment decisions, highlighting that Espírito Santo shows harmony in this aspect, with the various spheres of public power and the private sector working together, which is very positive.
