CMPC plans to install a 2.5 mln tonnes per year BHKP mill in Brazil with $4.6-bln investment

The plans are subject to approval by the board of directors in mid-2026, alongside additional investments for infrastructure and port terminal development

Chilean pulp and paper producer Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones (CMPC) has signed a letter of intent with Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to build a pulp mill in the state with a planned investment of 24 billion Reais ($4.6 billion), the company announced.

The planned mill will be located 15 kilometers from the city of Barra do Ribeira and will have the capacity to produce up to 2.5 million tonnes per year of bleached short-fiber kraft pulp (BHKP). The company currently owns about 280,000 hectares of planted area in the state.

The project, named Natureza, will be submitted for approval by the board of directors in mid-2026.

If approved, construction of the mill will require an investment of $420 million in infrastructure works and $150 million for the development of a new port terminal in Rio Grande, according to CMPC.

The company also said there is potential for further expansion, noting that any updates will maintain high standards of environmental protection, efficiency and quality.

CMPC, which has operated in the country since 2009, has begun the processes for licensing the project and the future unit with the Henrique Luis Roessler State Environmental Protection Foundation (Fepam), a technical body of the Rio Grande do Sul State Environmental Protection System (Sisepra).

In Guaíba, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, CMPC can produce about 2 million tonnes per year of eucalyptus pulp.

In 2021, it began investing 2.75 billion Reais to modernize its operations in Guaíba with the BioCMPC project. The project, which focused on sustainability and operational efficiency, added 350,000 tpy of fiber capacity at the site.

Want to learn more about the global paper and packaging markets? We provide a range of market intelligence, including short-term forecastsprice data and market coverage to keep you one step ahead of the market. Speak to our team and find out more today.

What to read next
The subsidiaries of the German FBB producer FOLBB Baiersbronn Frischfaser Karton and Folding Boxboard Eerbeek have filed for the initiation of insolvency proceedings and a suspension of payments.
Tissue jumbo/parent roll prices were largely unchanged in the United States in June, as higher domestic supply and steady demand kept the market balanced.
Europe's pulp and paper producers faced persistent headwinds in the first quarter of 2026, with geopolitical tension, rising energy costs and logistics pressure shaping a market that matters to food and beverage procurement.
Global sack kraft supply-demand dynamics are adjusting, with tight supply, mill closures and rising costs reshaping a market that matters to food and beverage procurement teams.
A surplus in bleached softwood kraft (BSK) pulp has driven US prices down by $20 per tonne, while bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) prices rose by $50 per tonne.
Tissue jumbo roll prices continued their upward trend in Europe during May, driven by rising input costs. Virgin fiber-based rolls increased by €20-30 per tonne, with similar hikes seen for recycled grades.