June 6, 2014
Stora Enso’s and Arauco’s joint operation Montes del Plata Pulp Mill at Punta Pereira in Uruguay has received all necessary permits from the Uruguayan authorities and is now starting up its operations.
The state-of-the-art pulp mill has an annual production capacity of 1.3 million tons of bleached chemical eucalyptus pulp. The pulpwood comes mainly from Montes del Plata’s own sustainably managed plantations. In addition to producing pulp, the mill will be more than self-sufficient in energy made from biomass, producing yearly around 160 MW, of which approximately 70 MW will be sold to the national grid. The mill site has its own deepwater port for pulp exports as well as a barge wharf for incoming wood to minimise the amount of truck traffic on Uruguayan roads.
“Montes del Plata is a long-term investment, and it will be a very profitable mill, despite the delays in the construction process. We are now focusing all our efforts on achieving a smooth start-up and fast ramp-up to get the mill into full production,” says Juan Carlos Bueno, EVP, Stora Enso Biomaterials.
Stora Enso’s share of Montes del Plata pulp, 650 000 tons per year, will be sold as market pulp.