With the support from Investe SP, Sibelco opens new calcium carbonate plant
Result of a R$ 200 million investment that relied on the support from Investe SP, the new plant will help strengthen the company’s position as a market leader in this segment in the country
Investe São Paulo
On November 11, Sibelco, a Belgian company leader in the mining sector, opened a new plant located in the city of Jarinu, state of São Paulo. The project relies on the support from Investe São Paulo, the export and investment promotion agency of São Paulo State Government.
Result of a R$ 200 million investment, the third plant of the company in the country covers a total area of 255,000 square meters, with 7,300 square meters of built area. Strategically located next to major paint manufacturers and the main highways of the country, the new unit will promote milling and drying operations, and the preparation of liquid mineral base (slurry) for the paint industry.
“In a few months, we accompanied Sibelco in several meetings with Elektro, Sabesp and the local government seeking to align our interests and make sure that Sibelco is able to meet its goals and deadlines with this plant. But it is clear that the work has not finished; we will continue to work closely with the company’s staff to keep growing and expanding,” said Ermínio Lucci, director of Investe SP, during the opening ceremony.
The event was opened by the global president of the company, Jean-Luc Deleersnyder, who reinforced the idea that the new plant should be the company’s most important plant in Brazil and presented the technical specifications of the plant. His speech was complemented by the company’s director for South America, Mathieu Verheyen.
“I would like to thank the support provided by everyone: state government, local government, Sabesp, Elektro and especially our employees,” said Verheyen. The Executive President of the Brazilian Association of Paint Manufacturers (Abrafati), Dilson Ferreira, noted that the figures show that the paint industry is undergoing a gradual growth that should be intensified in 2017.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the mayor of Jarinu, Vicente Teixeira Filho, and the ambassador of Belgium in Brazil, Dirk Loncke.
According to Sibelco, the project will contribute to the company’s strategy to position itself as a leader in the calcium carbonates market in Brazil and to reduce imports of this raw material by the country. The annual production capacity is 160,000 tons of slurry and 35,000 tons of ultra-fine calcium carbonate.
Among the Brazilian paint manufacturers that use slurry in their production process, 90% already integrates Sibelco’s customer base and together they account for approximately 65% of the domestic market.
“The plant in Jarinu is one of the most modern of the Group and a global reference in terms of quality and sustainability. With the use of state-of-the-art equipment, we provide more uniformity, efficiency and flexibility to our production process. This plant will enable us to strengthen our leadership in the calcium carbonates segment by increasing our production capacity by 50% in comparison with the plants in Mogi das Cruzes and Salto and expand our market share through a tailored production to meet a group of customers who need our products, but in smaller quantities compared to those demanded by major national players,” said Leonardo Alves, director of strategy of Sibelco South America.
According to Edson Teixeira, marketing manager of Sibelco South America, despite the downturn experienced over the past two years by the paint market in Brazil, the sixth largest in the world, the company implemented the investment project of the plant in Jarinu certain that this scenario would be reversed in the medium term. “The expectations for 2017 are already positive, although not as significant in numbers. With the possibility of reaching new customers with tailored production, I believe we should experience an even greater growth,” said the executive.
“Investe São Paulo has been providing support to Sibelco on various aspects, such as infrastructure, environmental licensing and taxes. It is good to see another company investing in the state of São Paulo,” said the president of Investe SP, Juan Quirós.
Silbelco’s plant in Jarinu is in line with the global trend of the paint market, seeking to use products that are increasingly friendly, sustainable and produced with raw materials free of silica. In the upcoming months, other two plant stations will start operations involving the supply of raw materials for the plastics and rubber industries.
About Sibelco
Founded in 1872, in Belgium, Sibelco (Silica Belgium Company) is a global leader in the mining industry and in the processing of various non-metal industrial minerals. Present in 43 countries across the world, with 214 production sites, 26 specialist technical centers and over 10,630 employees, the company’s global revenues totaled € 2.6 billion in 2015. In South America, Sibelco has operations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia, manufacturing and selling silica for the glass, ceramics and foundry industry, in addition to lime for metallurgy, mining and construction, and calcium carbonate to the paint, food and personal care markets. Brazil, which accounts for 30% of the company’s revenues in the region, has approximately 349 employees and 13 operating units, including plants and mines. For more information, please visit http://www.sibelcosam.com/.