‘Engineering Challenges’ explores the challenges and innovations in the construction of the mill in Lençóis Paulista, in the interior of São Paulo
Bracell, a global leader in dissolving pulp, has been in Brazil for over 20 years. In 2019, the company settled in Lençóis Paulista (SP) to carry out the largest private investment in the state of São Paulo in two decades: the largest and greenest pulp mill in the world. Initiated in 2020, the project resulted in the documentary Engineering Challenges: The Mill of the Future, which will be broadcast on TV Cultura on three occasions, starting next Saturday, August 10th, at 10:30 pm.
The film, which has been shown on pay TV and streaming services since November 2023, will now expand its reach by being broadcast on open signal. It portrays in detail the construction of the mill in the interior of São Paulo, from planning to execution. The documentary highlights the challenges faced to complete the work, which generated over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs in Lençóis Paulista, Macatuba, and neighboring cities, as well as implementing qualification programs for the local population.
The film’s narrative is also composed of different real-life stories of characters involved in the work, one of the favorite parts of Frederico Bastos, Digital Communication and Social Media Manager at Bracell and one of the executive producers of the documentary. “The production highlights the care of the women in the nurseries, such as Misaeli Alves, in cultivating eucalyptus seedlings, goes through the responsibility of Sandy Quandt, a work safety technician who masterfully leads an area traditionally dominated by men, and ends with Osmar Marques sharing the learning that the project brought to his decades-long trajectory in the sector,” recalls Bastos.
With the construction of the mill, Bracell has consolidated itself as the largest and most sustainable producer of dissolving pulp in the world. Kraft pulp production increased from 250,000 to up to three million tons per year, while soluble pulp production reached 1.5 million tons annually. The project also boosted the economic and sustainable development of the region.
According to Bastos, for construction, Bracell chose to implement good practices such as tertiary effluent treatment, the generation of its own energy, and the possibility of eliminating the use of fossil fuels. “This contribution serves as a reference for this and other sectors, inspiring industries and products to become increasingly sustainable,” he says.
The documentary will premiere on TV Cultura on August 10th at 10:30 pm, and will be rebroadcast on August 18th at 3:30 pm and on September 4th at 7:00 pm. In addition to the audiovisual production, the mill construction process can also be seen in the book Project Star, available on the company’s website.
