Montes del Plata Starts up Oxygen Supply to New Pulp Mill in Uruguay

The Montes del Plata pulp mill in Punta Pereira, Uruguay, and Praxair Inc., Danbury, Conn., USA, this week announced the startup of a new 125 tpd, non-cryogenic, vacuum-pressure-swing-adsorption (VPSA) plant. Under a long-term contract, Praxair will supply gaseous oxygen to the new mill. 

 

In response to growing environmental regulation, pulp mills are eliminating the use of chemicals in the bleaching process, Praxair notes. Oxygen delignification reduces the use of chemicals in the plant, resulting in operational cost savings, environmental benefits, and enhanced yield in pulp production, it adds. 

 

"Oxygen is a critical product in processes that help pulp and paper manufacturers increase productivity and improve environmental performance," said Domingos Bulus, president of Praxair South America. "It is our mission to develop innovative applications technologies that produce environmental benefits and drive business growth. With this in mind, we have developed and implemented state-of-the-art applications to ensure the safe, efficient, and reliable delivery of oxygen to the Montes del Plata plant." 

 

Montes del Plata is a joint venture between Arauco of Chile and Stora Enso of Finland and Sweden, and is the largest privately executed investment that has been made in Uruguay. More than $2 billion has been invested in the modern pulp mill, including its power generation unit based on renewable resources, making the mill energy self-sufficient. The mill is expected to produce 1.3 million metric tpy of cellulose pulp for paper and board production. 

"At Montes del Plata, we seek excellence in all that we do," said Luis Maria Rodriguez, CEO of Montes del Plata. "Praxair shares our commitment to excellence and we are happy to have them as a trusted global supplier."