June 25, 2019

The investments made in 2015 included the construction of 553 kilometers of wooden bridges and railway lines.

The company UPM invested approximately US$14 million in road construction during 2015, plus an amount exceeding US$1.5 million in the construction of wooden bridges in rural areas, as part of an annual investment policy for the recovery and reconditioning of roads and road communication solutions, the Infrastructure and Logistics Manager, Mauro Real de Azúa, told El Observador Agropecuario.

He explained that the company built 553 kilometers of roads last year on its own properties and those of producers associated with the Development Program to ensure adequate transport of their produce. The use of new technologies has allowed for the creation of better roads.

Three years ago, the company introduced a new system called Cement Road Stabilization, a technology that has yielded excellent results on strategic roads. This allows the company’s fleet of trucks to travel these roads regardless of weather conditions.

Synergies

Furthermore, public-private partnerships have been a valuable tool for improving logistics and completing important projects in the interior of the country, such as the construction of wooden bridges, Real de Azúa indicated. The bridges, built with red eucalyptus wood, are located in Paso del Billar (Durazno), Pablo Páez, and Cañada Brava (Cerro Largo).

The bridge built in Paso del Billar, over 180 meters long, has connected the community of Arévalo with other urban centers that were previously isolated, and has shortened distances in forestry operations. This has resulted in significant logistical savings, reducing the distance for transporting timber to the Fray Bentos pulp mill by up to 60 km.

Other notable projects included the repair of the section of Route 4, which was refurbished in agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTOP) and the Paysandú Municipality, with a view to the inauguration of the Santana Nursery, and the construction of the bypass in Paso de los Mellizos, in Río Negro, improving the quality of life of the populated centers of the area.

Collection centers

The company also has intermediate collection centers in Río Negro, Tacuarembó and Durazno, which operate as wood reserves that guarantee a constant supply to the UPM Fray Bentos pulp mill, even in rainy seasons, preserving the roads and avoiding the circulation of heavy cargo in the forests and rural roads in those circumstances.

The use of double-trailer trucks results in less road deterioration.

In addition, double-trailer trucks (bitrains) are used, which, thanks to their configuration, allow for the transport of a greater quantity of timber, generating less impact on road deterioration due to the technology employed and the reduced number of trips. This also results in a decrease in carbon emissions. During 2015, of the 259 trucks that transported timber for the company, 29 were double-trailer trucks, which carried 27% of the total timber volume.

With the same objective, UPM is developing a multimodal river-sea timber transport plan from the port of La Paloma to the Fray Bentos terminal, destined for the UPM plant. In 2015, 50 trips were made by ship, which represented a saving of 5,000 truck trips between Rocha and Fray Bentos.

For nearly 10 years, UPM has implemented a road safety program to promote responsible driving, knowledge of traffic laws, and traffic safety for everyone associated with the company. This program includes training courses and workshops in conjunction with private companies. The company’s timber fleet has maintained an accident rate well below the international average, promoting safe transit, said Real de Azúa.

In 2015, UPM introduced a new fleet tracking system to monitor on-route behavior. In the first few months of implementation, speeding violations were reduced by more than 90%, and route tracking violations by 60%.

Fountain: http://www.elobservador.com.uy/upm-invirtio-mas-us-155-millones-la-camineria-n919630