Black liquor, one of the main residues from the pulp production process, is the main fuel Suzano uses to generate energy. It complements forest biomass and generates clean and renewable energy.

After burning the black liquor in the recovery boiler, the chemical products that make it up are returned to the production process, and the steam generated from this burning is sent to the turbogenerators to convert thermal energy into electricity.

In this way, most of Suzano's mills are energy self-sufficient, i.e., they supply the demand for domestic consumption and also export the surplus to the National Interconnected System (SIN). This export contributes to the country's energy demand and increases the degree of renewability of the energy matrix, supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Renewable energy generated from black liquor and forest biomass in our industrial units and exported to the National Interconnected System.

Increase renewable energy exports to the grid by 50% - from 214 MWm to 322 MWm by 2030

Technical challenges and fluctuations in production volume in recent years have led to lower renewable energy export results than the baseline year. In 2024, energy exports reached 192 MWm, up 12% on the previous year but 10% lower than the 2018 baseline.

A positive point was the start-up of the Ribas do Rio Pardo unit, which contributed to the target for 4 months of the year. The Três Lagoas unit remained the company's most significant energy generator, contributing more than 50% of the target result.                                

For 2025, we expect the first annual result of the Ribas do Rio Pardo unit in operation to be the main driver for improving the result of this Commitment, bringing us closer to the target set. The unit's energy exports are expected to total 105 MW per year (a volume already partially included in the Commitment's result for 2024).

However, given the scheduled shutdowns at Três Lagoas and Ribas do Rio Pardo, some expected challenges regarding the energy issue at other units exist. The units will continue to strive for energy efficiency and stability in all operations throughout the year, improving the pace of energy exports, implementing ongoing projects such as the new boiler at Aracruz, and optimizing the allocation of steam in the turbines.