A model plant in environmental care The start-up process of Botnia in Fray Bentos begins today The Uruguayan authorities have last night given the authorisation for the plant of Oy Metsä-Botnia Ab in Fray Bentos, Uruguay to start operations. "This is a very important moment for the company", says Erkki Varis, President and CEO of the company. "We are starting up one of the most modern pulp mills in the world and an example in environmental care. The mill has been designed with the most recent and most modern technologies available and will operate complying with the most strict standards set by the European Union and Uruguayan legislation", he adds. With an investment of 1.2 billion USD the mill of Fray Bentos will be Botnia's sixth mill and the first outside of Finland. It will have a yearly capacity of one million tons of eucalyptus pulp which will be exported to markets in Europe and Asia. The mill will have one of the most modern and efficient effluent treatment plants which will not only treat the effluents of the mill but is also committed to treating the municipal sewage from the city of Fray Bentos. The mill will reutilise, recycle and optimise the use of raw materials during the entire production process. It will generate its own energy from renewable sources and an excess that could eventually be sold to the national grid. The start-up process will be set in motion as soon as all necessary preparations have been finalised. Botnia has trained all participating personnel during the past two years at Botnia mills in Finland and in mills in South America. In addition, the start-up process will be supported by an experienced team of international experts. "This is the moment to thank all the people involved in transforming this project into reality. Especially it is a moment to thank the 7,000 workers who have participated in the construction of the mill, the more than 1,000 professionals and technicians who developed the project and all the companies involved in the project. Without the efforts of all these it would have not been possible that there is today in Uruguay an operation of this magnitude. In addition, we are grateful to the community of Fray Bentos of their support and confidence at all times", concludes Ronald Beare, Managing Director of Botnia S.A. For more information: Marko Janhunen, Vice President, Communications and Public Relations: +358-50-590 0047 Enclosure: Fact sheet of the mill