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Billion-Dollar Project Promises to Transform Small Town in Mato Grosso do Sul into Global Pole of Pulp and Clean Energy, Attracting Jobs, Investments, and Technological Innovation to the Region.
With investment of US$ 4.6 billion (about R$ 25 billion), the Chilean Arauco chose Inocência, in Mato Grosso do Sul, to build the new unit of the Sucuriú Project.
The pulp mill, announced as the largest in the world built in a single phase, has an annual capacity of 3.5 million tons and an expected start of operations by the end of 2027.
According to information from the portal GMC, the launch of the cornerstone took place in April 2025, marking the beginning of the construction phase.
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What Changes with the Sucuriú Project
The industrial facility has been planned to make Inocência a strategic point on the pulp map.
In addition to producing short-fiber eucalyptus, the plant is designed to generate over 400 megawatts (MW) of clean energy from by-products of the process.
Approximately 200 MW will meet internal consumption.
The excess, estimated at around 220 MW, will be sold in the National Interconnected System, a volume sufficient to supply a city with more than 800 thousand inhabitants.
At the construction site, the peak of activities is expected to generate 14 thousand jobs.
After the commercial start, the industrial, forestry, and logistics operation is expected to sustain about 6 thousand direct and indirect jobs.
The supply base will consist of 400 thousand hectares of eucalyptus already contracted and expanding.
Timeline and Dimensions of the Project
The venture entered the construction phase after the ceremony in April 2025.
Arauco is maintaining the schedule that points to the first pulp bale in the fourth quarter of 2027.
In the current phase, civil works, electromechanical assembly, and utility preparation are advancing to support the sequential entry of process equipment.
The industrial area has been designed to continuously integrate cooking, bleaching, drying, and shipping lines.
The design prioritizes energy efficiency and emission reduction, with water reuse and waste utilization in electricity generation.
Technology and Suppliers
The Finnish Valmet has been chosen as the main supplier of processes, automation, and valves.
The unit will have biomass gasification for the lime kiln, biomass boiler, and the largest chemical recovery boiler in the world in the sector, a combination that supports the projected energy and environmental performance.
In public statements, Arauco claims that Sucuriú symbolizes the union of technology and socio-environmental commitment.
For the global CEO, Cristián Infante, “we are a global company that uses an essential renewable resource and seeks to generate economic, social, and environmental value simultaneously.”
Meanwhile, the president of the Brazilian operation, Carlos Altimiras, emphasizes the role of local articulation: “a grand project like Sucuriú has the potential to leave, with equal magnitude, a legacy in the present and for future generations.”
Jobs and Economic Effects
The expected impact goes beyond the construction site.
In the short term, the influx of workers is likely to increase demand for housing, food, commerce, and services.
In operation, job openings will be spread across industry, logistics, and forestry management, with opportunities for technicians, engineers, operators, drivers, and support staff.
The municipal revenue and the hiring of regional suppliers should reflect the scale of the project.
To mitigate bottlenecks, the company has been expanding training programs and plans housing solutions to avoid excessive strain on the urban infrastructure of Inocência.
The expectation is that public and private investments will keep pace with the construction, with reinforcements in health, education, mobility, and sanitation.
Why Inocência Entered the Map of Pulp
The choice of the municipality directly relates to the climatic and soil conditions of eastern Mato Grosso do Sul, favorable for eucalyptus.
According to Arauco itself, the tree reaches the ideal cutting point in about seven years in the region—a shorter cycle than that observed in Chile, where the average period is 10 to 12 years.
This window accelerates the return on invested capital and increases the forestry competitiveness of the project.
In addition to the agronomic factor, the surrounding area of Inocência benefits from the logistical corridor of pulp in Mato Grosso do Sul, known as the “Pulp Valley”.
This hub already brings together large-scale enterprises and facilitates the formation of supply and specialized service chains.
Clean Energy as a Pillar
The project has been designed for energy self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
The biomass gasification will supply the lime kiln, while the recovery boiler will reuse black liquor and other inputs from the chemical process.
With this, the mill seeks to operate with low emissions and minimal landfill waste, in line with sustainability goals and current environmental regulations.
The sale of surplus electricity creates a second revenue stream and helps stabilize the system, especially during periods of higher demand.
This strategy is common in the largest pulp mills in the country and reinforces the sector’s position in the energy transition.
What to Expect for the City
With 8,400 inhabitants in the 2022 Census, Inocência is experiencing a scale change.
The arrival of Sucuriú is expected to redefine the local job market and urban dynamics.
Consequently, the municipality and the state are coordinating measures to adapt licensing, infrastructure, and professional training to the project cycle and operational phase.
The expectation is that the new industrial hub will have long-term effects on the diversification of the economy, attracting companies related to supplies, logistics, and maintenance.
Who is Inocência
Founded from the subdivision of the Fazenda Bocaina, the settlement created in 1947 evolved and was elevated to municipality by Law 1,129 on November 17, 1958, with political emancipation celebrated on April 4.
The municipal territory covers 5,761.19 km² (2024 update).
The average altitude is 502 meters and the headquarters is approximately 312 km from Campo Grande.
The traditional economic base combines livestock and agriculture, now transitioning with the expansion of planted forests to serve the pulp industry.
In light of this new cycle, what will be the city’s priorities to balance accelerated growth, quality of life, and environmental preservation?
Não há “energia limpa” que compense a destruição de 400 000 mil hectares de um bioma natural para a produção de uma monocultura, no caso eucalipto.Vamos lá continuemos com a destruição da natureza e do futuro do planeta destruidores do passado e do futuro.
Loteando o Brasil, os mesmos que ficam de papo **** falando de SOBERANIA
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