A round of R$ 379.3 million of investments in five projects in Rio Grande do Sul was confirmed in a ceremony held at the Triunfo Petrochemical Complex this Friday (17/1). The sector celebrated the results obtained from the incentives provided by the revitalization of the Special Regime for the Chemical Industry (Reiq Investimentos).
The ceremony was attended by the vice-president of the Republic and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, and the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite. The president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki, also attended the presentation of the investments, with the aim of strengthening the relationship with actors and investors in one of the priority sectors of the Development, Inclusive and Sustainable Plan launched by the State government.
According to the president of Invest RS, Rio Grande do Sul can leverage several investment opportunities from petrochemical projects. “It is the beginning of a journey in which there are a series of other initiatives and processes involved, so that in the future we can attract even more investments, including in other sectors”, explains Prikladnicki, who accompanied the Deputy Secretary of Economic Development, Derly Fialho , on the agenda.
During a reception meeting, before visiting the Innova plant – one of the companies with announced projects –, the president of Invest RS maintained contact with Braskem and OCQ about the possibility of new projects in Rio Grande do Sul. Innova already has a R$23.1 million project for its Rio Grande do Sul plant, improving the use of rice husks as an energy source. Braskem, in the same way, with an investment of R$306 million in Triunfo.
When welcoming the federal program to support the sector, Governor Eduardo Leite also recalled that the growth of the chemical industry is essential for the state’s development strategy, because it enables investments in other areas. “Federal public policy (the Reiq) represents a strategic boost for the sector,” said Leite, who highlighted the need for national production to seek to reduce dependence on naphtha as an input.
Speaking on behalf of the sector, the executive president of the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim), André Passos Cordeiro, highlighted the potential of R$20 billion in new investments based on the conditions generated by Reiq Investimentos. “We managed to avoid the extinction of Reiq. Now, our industry is offering the compensation of maintaining jobs and making investments. It is a sign that, with the appropriate policy and the correct trade defense, we provide the answer for society”, said Passos.
At the end of the investment presentation ceremony, at Braskem’s headquarters in the Petrochemical Complex, the vice-president of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, recalled the effort made by the federal government to revitalize Reiq, later regulated with the support of Congress. He also highlighted that the sector needed commercial defense. “A more competitive, more sustainable, more innovative and more present industry on the international market”, stated Alckmin.
