Arauco celebrated the laying of the cornerstone at the site of its new 3.5 million tonne per year single-phase pulp mill, referred to as "Project Sucuriú".
April 17, 2025 - On April 9, Chilean pulp producer Arauco celebrated the laying of the cornerstone at the site of its new pulp mill — "Project Sucuriú" — in Inocência, Mato Grosso do Sul state in Brazil. This marked end of earth moving phase and the official start of the construction phase of the 3.5 million tonne per year single-phase pulp mill.
The event was attended by national and local authorities including the Vice President of Brazil, Geraldo Alckmin, along with the entire Arauco team, headed by the CEO of the Arauco group, Cristian Infante, and the CEO of Arauco in Brazil, Carlos Altimiras. Valmet was represented by the South America Area management and the team members working for the project.
"We are a company with a global vision, utilizing a renewable resource essential to addressing the planet's challenges," said Cristián Infante, Arauco CEO. "In addition to generating economic value, we believe that our development must be guided by respect for nature and the well-being of people and communities. Therefore, we are promoting a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment, ensuring that this project generates a positive transformation for Mato Grosso do Sul."
Geraldo Alckmin praised Arauco's significant investment in Brazil, paving the way for close collaboration between his government and Arauco. He highlighted the impact this project has on the region, generating employment and various benefits for the local economy.
"This is the world's largest single-stage cellulose project. Count on us for the new Brazilian industry, research, development and innovation. The bi-oceanic route will create a historic connection with the Atlantic and Pacific, an extraordinary gain for this region."
Celso Tacla, President of Valmet South America, added, "With the Arauco Sucuriú project, the largest and most modern pulp mill in the world, we are creating the future aligned with our commitment to sustainable development and environmental preservation. This plant has been carefully planned and designed to ensure the highest availability and production efficiency. Its capacity definition combines technical and economic aspects to maximize production, adopting the most modern and advanced technologies for pulp production, automation, and control."
The large number of Valmet representatives were happy to celebrate this event and continue the intensive work for the project.
"This is the most important project in Valmet's history. It will be the largest mill in the world and the most modern technology," said Fernando Scucuglia, Director of Pulp and Energy for Valmet.
EPCC delivery of all key process islands and mill automation:
Valmet has a global customer base across various process industries and is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation, and services for the pulp, paper, and energy industries.
SOURCE: Valmet