Nouryon has signed a 15-year agreement with Suzano, a world leading eucalyptus pulp producer. Under the long-term agreement, Nouryon will commission its sustainable Integrated Manufacturing Model for the new Suzano eucalyptus pulp mill in the municipality of Ribas do Rio Pardo, located in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
The project, called the “Cerrado Project”, is a $2.8 billion pulp mill with annual production capacity of 2.55 million tons per year and one of the largest private-sector investments currently under development in Brazil. The pulp mill production is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2024.
“At Nouryon, we are committed to providing our customers innovative and sustainable solutions while continuously optimizing our own operations and environmental footprint. We are pleased to build on our long-term relationship with Suzano as they embark on this significant investment to meet the world’s growing demand for sustainable end-products developed from renewable materials,” said Johan Landfors, Executive Vice President and President, Technology Solutions and Europe at Nouryon.
Nouryon has successfully operated its Integrated Manufacturing Model in Brazil since 2005 with four existing pulp mill installations that support the country’s fast-growing pulp industry. The concept provides Suzano with tailor-made onsite solutions to manage essential raw materials needed in pulp production. Nouryon will invest in a hydrogen peroxide and a sodium chlorate manufacturing facility at the site and will construct and sell a chlorine dioxide manufacturing facility and tank farm to Suzano. Nouryon will be using renewable electricity from Suzano’s new pulp mill to produce sodium chlorate. Additionally, the production process will generate green hydrogen, which is used to sustainably manufacture hydrogen peroxide. It will provide important sustainability benefits as the onsite facilities reduce transportation of raw materials, improve overall safety and maximize available resources.
“Nouryon is proud to partner with Suzano on this important project and grow our Renewable Fibers business in South America – where the market continues to grow at nearly twice the global average,” said Antonio Carlos Francisco, Vice President, Technology Solutions South America at Nouryon. “Supplying both hydrogen peroxide and sodium chlorate in the region for the first time strengthens our leading position in specialty chemicals and underscores our commitment to growing with our customers.”