Arauco at Port of Santos: company to to take over area, plans to invest R$2 billion

The Brazilian National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) has authorized the Chilean company Arauco to acquire control of Alempor and take over the Private Use Terminal (TUP) in the Alemoa district, at the Port of Santos (SP). The facility will handle output from the eucalyptus pulp mill under construction in Inocência (MS).

To complete the transaction and carry out the necessary upgrades, the company will invest R$2 billion in dredging works, construction of a berth, storage facilities, and road-rail access. Environmental licenses are still pending. The deal also depends on approval from the Minister of Ports and Airports, expected within 90 days.

According to Alberto Pagano, Arauco’s logistics director, the company had been evaluating port alternatives since 2022 and identified the terminal as the most viable option. The site covers approximately 200,000 square meters and will have the capacity to handle 3.55 million tonnes of pulp per year, matching the mill’s production. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of this year and take between 14 and 18 months.

The Arauco investment in the Port of Santos is part of a broader logistics package that includes R$2.4 billion for a 45-kilometer railway connecting the facility to Rumo’s Malha Norte network, as well as 9 kilometers of internal tracks. The operation will involve 26 locomotives, 721 railcars, and the capacity to transport up to 9,600 tonnes per train.

Railway construction began in late 2025 and is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2027, alongside the mill’s startup. The company is also considering using rail to transport wood from forests located about 100 km away and is evaluating the Tietê-Paraná waterway.

With an investment of US$4.6 billion, the Sucuriú Project will have an annual capacity of 3.5 million tonnes of bleached eucalyptus pulp, making it the largest facility of its kind in the world. Construction is currently 42% complete, with completion expected in 2027.

Arauco currently produces 5.2 million tonnes per year across operations in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. The Brazilian unit will match the company’s total production in Chile.

The project is part of a wave of new investments in the pulp sector in Latin America, including initiatives by CMPC, Bracell, Eldorado, and Paracel.

Source: Valor Econômico

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