Bracell will invest R$ 7 billion and generate 7.500 jobs at a factory in São Paulo

Officially launched by the company in April, the “Star Project” will increase the factory’s production from 250 thousand tons to 1,5 million tons per year

The Bracell Group, which is part of RGE, headquartered in Singapore, presented this afternoon, the 29th, details of the R$ 7 billion project to expand the production of dissolving pulp that is underway in the interior of São Paulo. The presentation of the expansion project in the city of Lençóis Paulista was delivered to the governor of São Paulo, João Doria, with journalists at an event held at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes.

In January, discussions on investment were advanced, when Governor Doria met with Anderson Tanoto, world president of RGE, in Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum.

With completion scheduled for the end of 2021, the expansion work represents the largest private investment in the State of São Paulo in the last 20 years. In total, around R$ 7 billion will be invested. The epicenter of the investment will be concentrated in the municipalities of Lençóis Paulista and Macatuba, but will also create job opportunities in nearby cities: Agudos, Areiópolis, Bauru, Pederneiras, São Manuel, Barra Bonita, Jaú and Igaraçu do Tietê.

Over a two-year period, Bracell's expansion project in São Paulo will employ approximately 7.500 workers during peak construction, with an average of approximately 3.000 workers. Upon completion, the operation phase will employ around 2.100 direct workers and 1.900 outsourced workers permanently at the factory and in forestry activities.

“For this project to come to life, we want to work with the best talent and technology available in the world and, fortunately, we are confident that this talent is based here in Brazil”, says Pedro Wilson Stefanini, director of Bracell São Paulo. The executive also reinforces that the opportunities will occur not only in the manufacturing area, but also in forestry activities present in around 50 municipalities in the state of São Paulo.

Present in Brazil for more than 15 years with the operation of Bahia Specialty Cellulose, in Camaçari (BA), Bracell started the ambitious expansion project by acquiring Lwarcel Celulose, in August 2018. Located in Lençóis Paulistas (SP), the The plant with a current production capacity of 250 thousand tons/year began to be expanded in April 2019. At the end of the work, the unit will have a production capacity of 1,5 million tons/year of dissolving pulp.

“Our ambition is not only to be one of the largest dissolving pulp operations in the world, but also one of the most responsible companies in social and environmental terms. In addition to creating jobs and career opportunities for thousands of people in Brazil, we will set the highest standards for the sustainable use of renewable resources,” comments Carlos Pastrana, director of the expansion project.

When the expansion project is concluded, Bracell's total production capacity, considering the operations in Bahia and São Paulo, will increase to approximately 2 million tons of dissolving pulp per year.

Dissolving cellulose is one of the key ingredients used to create a wide range of products, from textiles, baby wipes and eyeglass frames to sausage packaging and pharmaceuticals, as well as industrial products such as high-performance tire cords.

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