Plizio Visual Lab

Montes del Plata Pulp Mill

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

Industrial site

Weather…

The Montes del Plata pulp mill is a major industrial facility located in Punta Pereira, in the Colonia Department of Uruguay. It is a joint venture between the Swedish-Finnish company Stora Enso and the Chilean company Arauco. Representing an investment of over US$2 billion, it is one of the largest private investments in the country's history. The mill began operations in 2014 and has an annual production capacity of 1.4 million tonnes of bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP). The facility was designed using Best Available Techniques (BAT) to ensure high environmental standards. It features its own deep-water port terminal, allowing for the direct export of pulp onto ocean-going vessels and reducing logistics costs. Like other pulp mills in the country, Montes del Plata is energy self-sufficient, generating a significant surplus of renewable energy from biomass that is fed into the national electricity grid. The project also includes sustainable forestry plantations that supply the mill with its raw material.

Location: Uruguay
Nearby: Carmelo (26 km)

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Mar, Nov, Dec.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	25	24	21	18	14	11	10	12	14	17	20	23
Rain mm	118	127	129	104	76	54	67	72	86	118	103	106

📋 Practical info

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What is this place?

The Montes del Plata pulp mill is a major joint-venture plant in Uruguay, contributing significantly to the country's GDP and exports. It is one of the world's most modern pulp mills, producing mainly for the international market.

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Visiting

The mill site is not open to the public for security reasons. From the outside, the facility can be seen from the surrounding country road or a nearby hill.

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Where to view it

A good viewpoint is the country road east of the mill, from which the large production halls and chimney are visible. From the Uruguayan riverbank on the Argentine side, the whole facility can be seen.

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Local products

The region mainly grows eucalyptus plantations for pulp production. Local markets often offer honey and wood products from the surrounding forests.

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Active season

The pulp mill operates year‑round in continuous shifts. The highest activity in logging and delivery is typically during the drier months from November to March.

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Nearby

A visit to the area can be combined with a tour of the eucalyptus plantations and a detour to the nearby town of Fray Bentos. The Río Uruguay also has opportunities for fishing or boating.