¿Qué es la celulosa y por qué es importante?

La celulosa es el principal componente estructural de las plantas, un polisacárido natural que aporta rigidez y firmeza.

En Paracel, extraemos celulosa de eucalipto a través de un proceso industrial que separa la fibra de otros elementos de la madera, generando una materia prima esencial para productos sostenibles y reciclables.

Desde papel hasta embalajes y productos sanitarios, la celulosa es clave en la transición hacia alternativas biodegradables que reducen el impacto ambiental.

 

Complejo Industrial de Paracel

Innovación para el mercado global

El complejo industrial de Paracel, será el primer y más grande centro de producción de celulosa en Paraguay.

Diseñado para una capacidad de 1,8 millones de toneladas anuales, este complejo abastecerá principalmente a clientes en Asia y Europa, respondiendo a la creciente demanda de productos sostenibles en mercados internacionales.

Ubicado estratégicamente cerca del río Paraguay, el complejo industrial cuenta con instalaciones de última generación en un área amplia dedicada a la producción eficiente y responsable. Paracel no solo fortalecerá la economía local mediante alianzas con proveedores y productores regionales, sino que también contribuirá a un futuro más sostenible, proporcionando una materia prima reciclable y biodegradable para una variedad de productos esenciales.

Nuestro proceso de producción de celulosa

Cultivo y Cosecha
Los eucaliptos se plantan, crecen durante unos siete años y se cosechan. Las cortezas y ramas se dejan en el suelo como materia orgánica.
Astillado
Los troncos se cortan en astillas pequeñas para facilitar la extracción de celulosa.
Digestión
(Proceso Kraft)
Las astillas se procesan en el digestor con vapor y químicos mediante el proceso Kraft.
Lavado y Blanqueo
La pulpa es lavada y blanqueada para mejorar su pureza y apariencia.
Secado y Empaque
La celulosa se seca, se organiza en láminas y queda lista para su transporte.

El proceso Kraft

1

Evaporación y Combustión del Licor Negro

La caldera de recuperación evapora el agua del licor negro y quema la materia orgánica, generando calor para la producción de vapor.

2

Recuperación de Subproductos

La caldera de recuperación evapora el agua del licor negro y quema la materia orgánica, generando calor para la producción de vapor.

3

Regeneración de Químicos

La caldera de recuperación evapora el agua del licor negro y quema la materia orgánica, generando calor para la producción de vapor.

Ventajas del proceso

Trabaja con cualquier tipo de madera.
Recupera el licor de cocción, genera vapor y electricidad para autoconsumo
Produce celulosa de alta blancura y resistencia

¿Contás con interés en visitar el componente industrial?

En Paracel, abrimos nuestras puertas a universidades, colegios y grupos interesados en conocer de cerca nuestro componente industrial y nuestras prácticas de producción sostenible.

Las visitas están sujetas a un proceso de solicitud que evaluaremos cuidadosamente para garantizar una experiencia segura y enriquecedora.

Solicitar Visita

Preguntas frecuentes

What market will Paracel sell cellulose to?

The main markets to which Paracel will sell its production will be Asia and Europe.

How will the wood reach the industrial plant?

All the wood for the production of Paracel will arrive at the factory cut into logs without bark to be divided into small chips. Trucks and barges will be used for transportation, depending on the origin and distance from where the wood is found.

Can people enter and visit the industrial plant?

Paracel has an internal procedure for requesting and approving visits. For more information, go to the following link: Request for Visits.

What is the Kraft process and why did Paracel choose this process?

The Kraft process processes black liquor and regenerates cooking chemicals. The recovery boiler is the central point in the Kraft process recovery system and performs the following functions:Evaporate waste water from black liquor.Combustion organic matter from black liquor with the highest possible thermal efficiency and provide heat for steam production.Reduce oxidized sulfur compounds to sodium sulfide (chemicals used in production) and transformation of sodium salts into sodium carbonate.Recover inorganic compounds in salt or molten form.Paracel opted for this Kraft process because of the advantages it offers:It is versatile, that is, it can be worked with any type of wood.It allows the recovery of cooking liquor, the production of steam and electricity for self-consumption.It allows the recovery of by-products.It allows obtaining a high level of whiteness in the product and a high-strength pulp.

Could water extremes such as drought or floods affect the flow of the product through the river?

Water extremes can eventually affect. For this reason, Paracel has planned a contingency plan for the case of an extreme downpour of the Paraguay River in the Concepción area. This plan contemplates land transport to a port south of the city of Asunción; in that port, barges would be loaded to transport cellulose to the ocean terminal.

How will cellulose be shipped to the market?

The 250kg bales of cellulose will be loaded on barges and transported across the Paraguay River, to the maritime terminal that will be located in a port in Uruguay, where they will be loaded onto overseas ships for their final destination (Asia, Europe, and other countries of the world).

What will Paracel's production volume be?

The Paracel industrial plant is designed for a capacity of 1.8 million tons of bleached Kraft eucalyptus cellulose per year.

Can other products other than the company disembark or ship at the port of Paracel?

No. The Paracel port is designed exclusively for loading cellulose and for receiving raw materials such as wood and supplies for our industrial plant.

Is there enough market to sell all the cellulose that Paracel and the other companies in the world will produce?

Yes. The demand for paper for packaging and/or for sanitary purposes has shown an increase that is proportional to the growth of the world population. Also, there is a global trend that encourages the replacement of plastic with paper, taking into account that the latter has a shorter decomposition time. For example, if we only focus on China, it is the country with the highest pulp deficit and needs to secure at least 10 m tons of cellulose by 2025.

What is cellulose used for?

Cellulose is a raw material applied to various everyday materials: writing paper, packaging, books and magazines, toilet paper, diapers, tissues and even special papers, among others. Our raw material is vegetable, which allows us to develop biodegradable and recyclable products.

Is there a history of other pulp mills in Paraguay?

No. Paracel will be the first pulp mill in Paraguay.

Will Paracel make paper?

No. Paracel will produce the raw material for the manufacture of paper.

What is the cellulose production process?

It all starts when the eucalyptus tree is planted, cultivated and harvested with great care. After a cycle of approximately seven years, the eucalyptus is cut, peeled and transported to the industrial plant. Barks, leaves and twigs remain in the soil to become organic matter. Upon arrival at the factory, the wood logs are cut into small pieces, called chips. The purpose of chipping is to reduce the trunks to fragments, facilitating the penetration of the cooking liquor from chemical processes. The preparation of chips is an important operation, because the final quality of the paste depends on it. In the digester, a machine that works like a “large pressure cooker”, the wood, in contact with steam and chemicals, is processed and transformed into cellulose and lignin pulp. In continuous digesters, the chips are introduced continuously through special valves, the products being discharged simultaneously in the same proportion. Once cooked, the cellulose is washed, purified, bleached, dried, pressed and packed into bales. In the washing and purification process, impurities are removed, quality is increased, appearance is improved, bleaching costs are reduced and pulp handling is improved. Bleaching is a sequence of physical and chemical treatments to which it is subjected The pulp cellulose to improve some of its properties such as whiteness, cleaning and chemical purity, promoting a better interaction of the pulp with light. Bleaching makes it possible to increase the capacity of paper to accept printing or images and, consequently, to increase the usefulness of the papers. This means that during bleaching, the pulp is purified, meaning that the unwanted particles that contaminate the fibers are removed. During drying, which is the final process, water is removed from the cellulose. After drying, the pulp sheets are cut and organized into bales, making it easy to transport.

What is cellulose?

Cellulose is a polysaccharide, that is, it is a carbohydrate similar to sugar and is the main component of the cell wall of plant fibers, which provides rigidity and firmness to plants. Cellulose together with lignin, resins and minerals are the elements that make up wood. Cellulose represents about 50% of all wood, a raw material that gives rise to several products that we use on a daily basis.

Where does cellulose come from?

Cellulose is obtained from the trunk of the tree (at Paracel we will use eucalyptus wood) through an industrial process. It is extracted in the form of a paste, separating it from lignin, resins and minerals, the latter being used to generate renewable energy (electricity) to supply the industrial plant.

Otros Componentes

Componente Industrial

Paracel construirá y operará su fábrica con los más altos estándares de sostenibilidad global. Será uno de los productores de celulosa más competitivos del mundo, abasteciendo al mercado mundial.La planta está diseñada para una capacidad de 1,8 millones de toneladas de celulosa Kraft de eucalipto blanqueada (BHKP) por año.

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Componente Logístico

La planta está situada sobre el Río Paraguay, que va hasta el río de la Plata.La combinación del extenso río, el clima uniforme durante todo el año y el hecho de que dos tercios de las carreteras que rodean la planta estén asfaltadas, crea una solución logística óptima para los productos y los materiales hacia y desde el sitio de la planta.

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