1 Sep 2022

After one year of launching the largest investment in ESG in the history of Rio Grande do Sul, the project is already with more than 1/3 of its actions completed

In August 2021, in the midst of the biggest pandemic of the century that stopped the country and the world, CMPC launched the bold sustainability and operational efficiency plan BioCMPC, which includes new control measures and environmental management, for the Guaíba Mill. The company started the construction work in September of that year, with emphasis on the placement of the pile on the site where the new Restoration Boiler will be installed.

With eight months of effective work, out of a total programmed of 26, the project is already 36% complete, as planned, and is advancing without setbacks, even with all the challenges associated with the pandemic and the supply of inputs - the latter due to the war in Ukraine.

The numbers are impressive even for this initial phase, which already counts more than one million man-hours worked without accidents or complaints from neighboring communities. And compliance with the Basic Environmental Plan (BAP) remains at a 95% compliance level.

So far, BioCMPC has already trained 126 people in the professional qualification program, in the professions of bricklayer, carpenter, helper, scaffolding erector, electrician, and instrumentalist. Thanks to the efforts of these workers, the works of this stage have already reached 70%, which made it possible to start the electromechanical assembly services.

Throughout this period, CMPC has been an important economic actor in the recovery of the state and full employment in the post-pandemic era. So far, 336 companies have been hired, among which 143 are from Rio Grande do Sul, with a total of 3,160 professionals hired, of which approximately 800 are residents of the municipality of Guaíba, where the company's industrial plant is located.

"We are very satisfied with the progress of the actions. Everything is going according to plan. In May we had a General Stop, in which we took the opportunity to perform approximately 110 actions for the BioCMPC. Two more shutdowns are planned in which actions related to the project will take place. All purchases of major equipment have been completed, as have all construction and assembly work contracts. The first shipments associated with the critical route of the project (Recovery Boiler 3), coming from China, are on their way, and the European manufacturing part remains on schedule," explains Mauricio Harger, general director of CMPC in Brazil.

 

STATUS 

- Total Project Complete: 36%.

- Hours Worked: 1 million man-hours

- Contracted Companies: 336

- Companies from RS: 143

- Professionals Trained: 126

- Professionals Hired: 3,160

- Professionals from Guaíba Hired: 793

 

ABOUT BIOCMPC

Launched in 2021, the BioCMPC project provides for the implementation of important investments in operational modernization, in addition to new environmental control and management measures at the Guaíba Unit. The 31 initiatives are divided as follows: 9 related to the implementation of new environmental control equipment and the repowering of existing systems, 8 new initiatives for environmental management, and 14 actions for operational modernization.

In the end, the BioCMPC will generate a significant performance gain for the Guaíba mill, through an increase of approximately 18% in production capacity, when compared to our results over the last twelve months. With an investment of about R$2.75 billion, it is expected that about 7,500 new jobs will be created during the construction work, and that approximately 50% of the suppliers will be local companies, making the project not only the biggest ESG investment in the state, but also providing a great generation of shared value with the national production chains. This is the largest ESG investment in the history of Rio Grande do Sul.

The sum of these measures elevates CMPC's mill in Guaíba to the condition of one of the most sustainable in Brazil, when considering the parameters; waste management, effluent treatment, atmospheric emissions, gas treatment systems, and environmental management. The construction work started in 2021, soon after all the necessary permits were obtained, and the conclusion should occur in December 2023.

 

About CMPC 

CMPC Brasil has its industrial unit located in Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, and is part of the Chilean group CMPC. It produces, per year, about 2 million tons of cellulose - biodegradable raw material used in the manufacturing of personal hygiene products (tissue), packaging, and several other items present in people's everyday life. 

The largest industry in the state, according to the VPG (Weighted Value of Grandeur) index, the company is responsible for creating 45,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in the Rio Grande do Sul economy, with 6,600 professionals working in its industrial, forestry and port operations. Present in Brazil since 2009, the company is a representative of the bioeconomy and its operations are based on the circular economy concept, transforming 100% of the solid waste from the industrial process into 13 new products, from raw material for the production of cement and wood panels to soil pH corrective and organic fertilizers. The CMPC group completed 100 years of operations in the world in 2020 and currently has over 20 thousand employees in 48 industrial units in eight Latin American countries. More information is on the site http://www.cmpc.com.br/.