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BIOFORE
Forestry finds
fertile soil
in Uruguay
E
ucalyptus
plantations were
first established
in Uruguay in the early
1990s after new legislation was passed
to boost the forest industry.
Mats Backman
, Director of
Technical Customer Service at UPM
Pulp, was involved in founding the
very first plantations in Uruguay in
a joint project between Kymmene
Oy (today part of UPM) and oil
supermajor Shell. Renewable energy
production was top of Shell’s agenda,
while Kymmene was eager to solidify
its position in the pulpmarket.
“Eucalyptus trees are mature
for harvesting in about ten years,
so it was absolutely crucial to start
these plantations in order to secure
cost-effective rawmaterials and the
international competitiveness of
the forest industry,” says Backman,
recalling the early days.
Plantations of this kind
were then entirely new to
Uruguay. The first task
was to find eucalyptus
species suited to local
conditions. Specimens
were brought in from
as far afield as Australia
and South Africa, and trial
plantations were set up to
identify lands where the trees
would be most likely to thrive.
“We have continued fine-tuning
the species chosen for cultivation
through systematic breeding. Here
our ultimate goal is to ensure that our
pulp remains as uniform as possible,
as this is crucial for our customers’
production processes,” Backman adds.
Output doubled
The plantations are managed by
Forestal Oriental, a UPM-owned
company active in Uruguay since
UPM has been planting
eucalyptus in Uruguay
for a quarter century.
Cultivating gum trees for
pulp production is a task
requiring commitment and
long-term R&D.
Mats Backman
TEXT
VESA PUOSKARI
PHOTOGRAPHY
UPM