Annual Report 2023 UPM Forestal Oriental

8

2023 MILESTONES

FEBRUARY

JUNE

OCTOBER

The inauguration of the third UPM nursery in Sarandí del Yí

New Visitor Centre in the Esteros y Algarrobales del Río Uruguay in Río Negro

The inauguration of UPM Paso de los Toros

At UPM Forestal Oriental we prepared to supply timber to the new mill with an important growth plan that we implemented in all areas, focusing on always ensuring the safety and sustainability of our operations. This required a lot of planning, coordination and teamwork with all our collaborators and contractors. The main challenge created by the growth of our operations has been reflected in every one of the operational processes, which have now increased their capacity to meet the new demand. For example, in relation to harvesting, we incorporated 12 new fronts with more than 400 new jobs and in cargo and transportation the number of daily trips to the mill have increased from 350 to more than 800 as we now supply two mills.

The inauguration of the new Visitor Centre that we have built in the Esteros y Algarrobales del Río Uruguay reserve area foresees the visits from groups interested in touring the area and discovering its riches. The Centre also includes facilities for researchers who study the protected area and gives them the chance of holding meetings on site and with research equipment on hand. The area is part of the National System of Protected Areas and is the first to be managed by a private company. It has two trails for visitors to explore the different unique environments, which stand out for the diversity of flora and fauna, many of them priority for conservation efforts. They offer a 3 kilometre walk that allows sighting of many species and ecosystems. Thanks to 10 years of systematic monitoring in the area, more than 900 species have been identified.

This nursery, with cutting-edge technology, has an annual production capacity of 10 million Eucalyptus seedlings and offers 120 permanent jobs for people from the town and nearby communities. The nursery has metallic structure greenhouses with smart temperature, humidity, fertilization and irrigation control, as well as a biomass based heating system. In addition, it has mobile aluminium countertops to support the trays that hold the plants and make it easier for them to be transported internally from different nurseries, ensuring correct ergonomics for all workers.