BRAZIL – The eucalyptus pulp producer and paper manufacturer Suzano commissioned Hitachi Energy to design and deliver a grid connection solution for the company’s new pulp mill.

The two companies have worked closely together on grid solutions for Suzano’s fleet of mills over the past 20 years.

Suzano’s new factory will be the world’s largest single-line eucalyptus pulp mill and Brazil’s first pulp production facility to be fossil fuel-free when completed, Hitachi Energy said in a press release.

Hitachi Energy will supply a grid connection solution to enable the surplus renewable power to be transferred reliably, safely and securely into the national power grid. The solution’s compact footprint is based on advanced gas-insulated switchgear and offers excellent performance in terms of efficiency and availability, while minimizing the total lifecycle cost and CO₂ footprint.

To secure reliability and availability, key elements of the grid connection, such as the transformers will be equipped with Hitachi Energy’s digital monitoring systems to provide real-time data and performance insights and enable predictive maintenance. Hitachi Energy will provide a complete solution across the value chain, from system studies and grid code compliance to design and engineering, supply and installation and commissioning.

About half of the electricity generated by the facility will be transferred to the national power grid, enough to supply around 2.3 million people for one month.

The completion of the facility is scheduled for the second half of 2024.

Source: Hitachi Energy