Veolia to Supply Advanced Wastewater Treatment for Arauco’s New Brazil Pulp Mill

Global water technology company Veolia has been selected by Chilean pulp producer Arauco to design and implement an industrial effluent-treatment plant for its new Sucuriu pulp mill in Inocencia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The US$4.6 billion project will be Arauco’s first pulp mill in Brazil and is expected to begin operations by late 2027.

The Sucuriu Project will have an annual production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes of short-fibre pulp. Arauco describes it as the world’s largest industrial facility to be built in a single phase.

Veolia’s treatment system will handle 10,600 cubic meters of wastewater per hour. The company estimates that the organic load treated will be equivalent to that generated by a municipality of about 3 million inhabitants.

The treatment line will use Veolia’s biofilm activated sludge (BAS) process, which combines a moving-bed bioreactor with activated-sludge treatment. It will also include proprietary belt presses for sludge dewatering, helping optimize sludge handling and final disposal.

Veolia said the project is designed to prevent pollution of natural water sources and support sustainable industrial production. Arauco executive Leonardo Crociati said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to environmental compliance and shared value creation in Mato Grosso do Sul.