Klabin, the leading producer and exporter of packaging paper and sustainable paper packaging solutions in Brazil, celebrated the inauguration of Puma II, a groundbreaking project marking the expansion of the Puma Unit located in Ortigueira, Paraná. This project represents the largest investment in Klabin's history and the largest private investment ever made in the state of Paraná, totaling R$12.9 billion. It includes the installation of two new paper machines, MP27 and MP28, with a combined annual production capacity of 910 thousand tons of paper, reinforcing Klabin's integrated, diversified, and flexible business model.

Announced in 2019, the Puma II Project is a pivotal part of Klabin's most significant growth cycle in its 124-year history. The first phase, completed in August 2021, introduced Paper Machine 27 (MP27), which produces the innovative Eukaliner®, the world's first kraftliner paper crafted entirely from eucalyptus fiber. In June of the same year, the Paper Machine 28 (MP28) commenced operations, focusing on paperboard production, marking Klabin's entry into the white paperboard market and expanding its product portfolio. Together, these two machines increase Klabin's annual production capacity to 4.7 million tons of paper and cellulose.

Francisco Razzolini, Director of Industrial Technology, Innovation, Sustainability, and Projects at Klabin, emphasized that the Puma II Project is a significant milestone in Klabin's growth journey, expanding production capacity, entering new markets, and enhancing product quality while promoting sustainable development.

The two phases of the Puma II Project have generated over 33 thousand direct and indirect jobs in the region. Klabin has also invested in technical training within the communities of Ortigueira and Telêmaco Borba in Paraná, further supporting the local workforce.

The Puma Unit has seen substantial investments from 2013 to 2023, adding 2.5 million tons per year to Klabin's production capacity. Innovative sustainability initiatives have been integral to this expansion, such as the Biomass Gasification Plant project, which allows one of the factory's lime kilns to operate entirely fossil fuel-free, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, 98% of the waste generated at the Puma II is reused.

The Ortigueira industrial complex also features the groundbreaking Potassium Sulfate Plant, which extracts the substance from ash generated in the Recovery Boiler for use in fertilizers. This process is an industry first. Other initiatives include using Tall Oil, generated from resins extracted after cooking pine trees, as biofuel in lime kilns, resulting in 96% renewable fuels in the unit's energy matrix. A Sludge Drying plant processes biological and tertiary sludge, generating dry sludge that can be used as fuel for Power Boilers.

Puma II aligns with industry 4.0 principles, strengthening Klabin's production chain integration and striving to become a global benchmark in sustainability, technology, and innovation. The project embraces circularity in production processes, contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda and Klabin Objectives for Sustainable Development (KODS), which prioritize resource optimization and waste reintegration into production systems.

Razzolini expressed pride in the Puma II Project's transformative impact on the paper and cellulose industry, promoting sustainability, circularity, and efficiency in processes while generating income, jobs, and social progress for the region.

Klabin has also established a robust logistics operation alongside the Puma II Project, facilitating product flow for export. A Container Terminal and the Klabin Port Terminal (PAR-01) were constructed to expedite transportation of cellulose and paper to the Port of Paranaguá, ensuring enhanced competitiveness, flexibility, and sustainability in logistics. With the completion of Puma II's second phase, Klabin expects to move 2.2 million tons of paper and cellulose annually via Paranaguá.

The inauguration event, coinciding with Tree Day in Brazil, saw the participation of Klabin's board of directors, management, employees, customers, suppliers, business partners, communities, the press, and authorities. Notable attendees included the Governor of the State of Paraná, Ratinho Junior, and the Mayor of Ortigueira, Ary Mattos, along with local authorities. The ceremony commenced with a guided tour of the new machines.

Source:klabin.com.br

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