UPM Pulp Matters 2024

FIBRE PHENOMENA

UPM’s total value chain in Uruguay has created

approximately 7,000 direct and 10,000 induced jobs in the country. Pictured: Leticia Tognazzolo and Juan Artucio.

forests currently use only around 6% of the land area. Originally about 4 million hectares of forest priority soils with low productivity for other agricultural activities were identified, so there is still plenty of room for the sustainable growth of forestry,” Basso estimates. Besides heading Plantesia, Basso is president of SPF (Sociedad de Productores Forestales), the association of forest owners in Uruguay. Providing a network for different operators within the field, the association is also involved in, for example, areas such as forest fire prevention, research, communication and labour-related legal issues. POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY Investments into forestry have created jobs, export income, educational opportunities and better transport connections and services for Uruguay, especially in rural inland areas. The Paso de los Toros pulp mill project impacts most strongly on the relatively less developed central and north eastern regions in the country. In the case of the pulp industry the entire value chain from wood supply to logistics is located in Uruguay. UPM’s operations alone represent more than 3% of Uruguay’s GDP. “Forestry is one of the sectors that has best integrated all its phases into a production chain, from the primary silvicultural phase to industrialisation and commercialisation. In addition to horizontal integration with transportation and logistics, R&D and technology,” Basso points out. Having recently travelled to Finland for the first time, Basso was impressed with her visit to a local forest and experiencing Finnish forest management practices first hand. She says comparing Nordic forests to Uruguayan plantations isn’t really possible – mainly because native Finnish forests are managed with up to 80-year rotations, while eucalyptus plantations are harvested every 10 to 12 years. However, the principles of sustainable forest management are exactly the same. “UPM’s sustainable forestry concept supports both environmental and social aspects, ensuring the quality of operations with the consequent care for natural resources as well as the safety of workers,” Basso notes. SUCCESSFUL TEAM EFFORT UPM’s total value chain in Uruguay – including plantation operations, both pulp mills, related logistics and contractors – has created approximately 7,000 direct and 10,000 induced jobs in the country. According to Marcos Battegazzore, UPM’s own staff at the Paso de los Toros site has grown from about 500 to currently approximately 850 people working at the mill daily. He wants to give thanks to the entire operations team in Uruguay for making the largest investment in UPM’s history a success. “This has obviously been a major exercise for both our own teams and external operators. I’m extremely happy with the collective success we have so far achieved and will together continue the process of continuous learning and improvement,” Battegazzore concludes.

“I’M EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE COLLECTIVE

SUCCESS WE HAVE SO FAR

ACHIEVED, AND WILL TOGETHER CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND IMPROVEMENT.”

Marcos Battegazzore VP Pulp & Forestry Operations UPM Uruguay

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PULP MATTERS 2024