The testing phase of the UPM Paso de los Toros pulp mill in central Uruguay continues to progress as all preparatory activities are underway for the scheduled start-up by the end of the first quarter of 2023. Starting next week, trucks will gradually begin to arrive at the new mill site carrying wood that will be stored on site to be used in equipment tests prior to the start of operations.
The wood will be used for testing the chipping lines and the chip transfer and storage systems at the wood yard, as well as for test runs of all the usual operations in this area.
At the wood yard, tree trunks arriving at the mill are cut into small pieces or chips to be stored in a large stockpile from which, after being screened, they are transferred to the cooking process in the fibre line.
The Paso de los Toros pulp mill will have an annual consumption of more than 7,000,000 m3 of wood, coming from UPM's own plantations and from farms belonging to more than 800 Uruguayan producers associated with UPM’s outgrowers’ programme (Fomento) and suppliers.
During these activities wood from sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations will be transported under the highest safety and performance standards in transport units using the best available technology.
All the tests to be carried out in this process were approved by relevant authorities within the framework of the Environmental Management Plan.
