Suzano Saves 79 Million Gal of Water Using Nalco Mixing Technology

Nalco, Naperville, Ill., USA, reports that it helped Suzano Pulp and Paper's industrial units in the cities of Suzano, Sao Paulo, and Mucuri, Bahia, in Brazil, significantly reduce water and chemical use in their papermaking process. Suzano, the second largest global producer of eucalyptus pulp and regional leader in the paper market, developed a new set of KPIs (key performance indicators) for its papermaking operations and asked Nalco to find ways to improve its performance, reduce costs, and optimize the use of natural resources.

The Nalco team identified the combination of a new retention, drainage, and formation program with PARETO Mixing Technology to enhance the wet end of the papermaking process. By using the PARETO Optimizer solution, improved mixing was achieved, leading to the desired decrease in water and chemical usage.

With the implementation of these new technologies, total fresh water demand in both mills decreased more than 79 million gal per year, leading to a significant improvement in the sustainability performance.

"As a sustainability-oriented company, Suzano is always looking to increase its business competitiveness while at the same time implementing effective solutions that strengthen innovation," said Ernesto Pousada, executive director of operations at Suzano.

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