Botnia’s pulp project in Uruguay needs thousand
welders and fitters from Finland and other European countriesHelsinki (13.09.2006 / edited 14.09.2006 - Juhani
Artto) In the near future thousand welders and fitters will travel from Finland and other
European countries to Uruguay to work at the construction site of Botnia’s pulp mill.
The supply of Uruguayan labour needed for the high quality welding and fitting work
demanded by a pulp process, is far too small, Marko Janhonen, the project’s
communication and PR vice president, argues.
The project has trained a significant
number of welders but their skills have not reached the level required when it comes to
fitting delivery pipes, boilers and other parts of the process apparatus.
In addition to Finnish welders and fitters
Botnia’s subcontractors have employed skilled workers from Germany, Czech Republic, Poland
and Brazil.
According to Janhunen, about 90 per cent of the site’s present manpower
of over 3,000 people consists of Uruguayans. From Finland there are more than a hundred
inspectors and planners attached to the construction work. Most of the subcontracts for
the construction and fitting work have been given to Uruguayan companies.
On Monday, some members of the Uruguayan and Argentinian media accused Botnia
of reneging on its promises by bringing, to the site, a large number of foreign workers
employed by Botnia’s subcontractors.
Botnia’s pulp project in Fray Bentos and the pulp mill of the Spanish
enterprise Ence, under construction nearby, have been criticised especially in Argentina,
the neighbouring country on the other side of the river which also happens to mark the
border between the two countries..
The delivery of process apparatus material from Finland, Germany and Austria,
to the site of Botnia’s pulp mill, has begun. The port, specially constructed for the
pulp mill, has been able to receive first ships from Europe. The mill is due to start pulp
production in the third quarter of 2007.
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