Chilean pulp giant CMPC, one of the largest pulp producers in the world, has selected Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state as the site for its newest and most ambitious investment in the country. The company plans to invest R$24 billion (approximately USD 4.6 billion) in the construction of a cutting-edge eucalyptus pulp factory in the municipality of Barra do Ribeiro, just south of Porto Alegre.
Dubbed Projeto Natureza (Project Nature), the new facility is projected to have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tons of bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp. This large-scale project directly challenges the dominance of Três Lagoas, in Mato Grosso do Sul, widely known as the “world capital of cellulose” due to its high concentration of major pulp operations and exports.
CMPC’s investment marks one of the largest private sector commitments in the history of Rio Grande do Sul and underscores Brazil’s growing strategic importance in the global forestry and pulp value chain. The company emphasized that the decision to invest in Barra do Ribeiro was based on a combination of ideal forestry conditions, logistics potential, and government support for industrial development.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate thousands of jobs—both direct and indirect—during construction and operation phases, boosting the local economy and reinforcing CMPC’s long-term presence in Brazil. The company already operates a significant pulp plant in Guaíba, also in Rio Grande do Sul.
By expanding its footprint with Projeto Natureza, CMPC not only strengthens its global production capacity but also positions itself to meet rising international demand for sustainable pulp used in packaging, hygiene products, and textiles.