How is wood transported until the pulp mills?
In 2003, Aracruz implemented new developments in the wood logistics chain for the Barra do Riacho Unit (ES). Regarding rail transportation, a spur was built connecting the main railroad line to the wood patio inside the mill. Meanwhile, Aracruz initiated the operations of a groundbreaking coastal wood transportation service, inaugurating marine terminals in February 2003 in Portocel (ES) and Caravelas (BA). The terminals receive barges loaded with eucalyptus logs that are pushed by tugboats. The project required an investment of US$51 million and involved the construction of a wood-handling terminal in Portocel (the seaport controlled by the Company in Barra do Riacho), another terminal in the municipality of Caravelas (Bahia) and the barges that ply the route between the two points. Each barge has the capacity to transport the equivalent of 100 truckloads of logs. The time of the trip between the two terminals, a direct line distance of 275km, is approximately 12 hours. In 2006, this
