Biofore Magazine 2022

52

FEATURE

UPM Paso de los Toros will significantly boost the local economy and regional development, creating 10,000 permanent jobs.

Once the mill is fully

in the first quarter of 2023, the mill will essentially have been thoroughly tested in each of the process areas guaranteeing ex cellent performance in terms of safety, environment and pro duction. This ensures a seamless transition and means it could be operating at full capacity already in its first year. Positioned for future pulp demand

activities. “To be sustainable, you must have good manufacturing logistics, efficiencyandagoodphilosophyat eachstageof theproduction process. This ensures having a clear consciencewhen producing fibres inUruguay.” Preparing for day one of operation After securing the future wood supply, construction on the new pulp mill began in 2019. When we spoke to Battegazzore, the project team were in the middle of the commissioning process, which is the final step before mill operations begin and all the process parts are tested and connected. “The mill contains many different departments and process ar eas that are interconnected but have a specific function within the wholemill,” he adds. The first step is to test the water pumps, which transport this essential component around the mill’s treatment plant, where it can be demineralised and treated for various uses from drinking to firefighting. “Once we have demineralised water, we can trial the boilers,” continues Battegazzore. The commissioning team will test the small boilers before moving on to ensure the larger units function properly. After they have steam, they can begin trialling some of the other departments. “This is how it builds up to the point of the start-up. Once we arrive at this point, a large part of the mill has been in operation and has been basically test run,” Battegazzore says. Along with testing the equipment, the commissioning process enables all the engineers, technicians and support staff required to keep a mill functioning the chance to train and learn all the procedures. By the time the UPMPaso de los Toros pulpmill begins production

operational, Uruguay will be the world’s fifth-largest exporter of pulp.

For Battegazzore, who also participated in commissioning UPM’s first Uruguayan pulp mill in the south-western coastal city of Fray Bentos, the new UPM Paso de los Toros mill will go a long way to help the company meet future demand. “Global trends are very sup portive of rising pulp demand in general – urbanisation, population growth and the trend of utilising more natural fibres instead of syn thetic fibres,” he observes. Once the mill is fully operational, Uruguay will be the world’s fifth-largest exporter of pulp. However, UPM’s investment has also been designed to resist all types of market shocks. As a result, Battegazzore is confident that it will remain competitive in the long term, regardless of demand. “Production will be competitive through any price cycle, which is normally seen in the pulp industry, as in other commodities, and that is one of the main considerations when making a 50-year in vestment,” he concludes.