ANDRITZ to supply SulfoLoop plant for commercial grade, concentrated sulfuric acid to the new Suzano mill in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil

ANDRITZ has received an order from Brazilian pulp producer Suzano to deliver a SulfoLoop concentrated sulfuric acid plant for its new pulp mill that Suzano is building in the municipality of Ribas do Rio Pardo, state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The pulp mill, delivered by ANDRITZ, is in the construction phase with start-up scheduled for the second half of 2024.

The sulfuric acid plant will have the capacity to produce 153 tons of commercial grade (>97%) sulfuric acid per day from the pulp mill’s concentrated odorous gases and elemental sulfur - thus making the mill completely self-sufficient in sulfuric acid and recycling sulfur from the waste streams. The ANDRITZ SulfoLoop solution is based on the Wet-gas Sulfuric Acid (WSA) technology for converting wet, sulfur-rich gases and elemental sulfur into sulfuric acid.

The sulfuric acid mill will help the new Suzano mill in Ribas do Rio Pardo to control the sodium and sulfur (Na/S) balance and the sulfidity of the pulp mill. Also, the resource-efficiency of the mill will be improved because less sulfate needs to be discharged due to the optimized Na/S balance. An added advantage is that there is no need for hazardous sulfuric acid transport to the mill, which results in a major reduction in the truck transportation volume. The sulfuric acid plant also meets very strict air emission limits and therefore brings a significant improvement to the overall footprint of the new Suzano plant in Ribas do Rio Pardo.

This order once again confirms the excellent business relationship between ANDRITZ and Suzano. Currently ANDRITZ is in the process of supplying all pulp mill technology and process equipment for the new Suzano plant in Ribas do Rio Pardo. Once completed, the pulp mill will be the world’s largest plant with a single eucalyptus pulp production line.

SulfoLoop sulfuric acid plants are part of the company’s CircleToZero initiative, which includes new technologies aimed at optimizing pulp mill side streams. This global initiative for pulp and paper customers brings together the continuous development and improvement of existing ANDRITZ technology solutions with an ambitious innovation goal for the future: To eliminate unused side streams, create new added-value products, and lay the foundation for zero emissions and zero waste production.