Supporting reliable shutdown execution through Valmet Field Services at Arauco’s Puerto Esperanza
Valmet provided Field Services expertise during the latest General Mill Shutdown at Arauco’s Puerto Esperanza mill in Argentina.
The shutdown represented a critical maintenance window to ensure operational reliability, asset integrity and safe restart of key process areas.
During the shutdown, Valmet was responsible for the supervision of critical maintenance and service activities across several core process areas, including boiler, lime kiln, causticizing, and fiber line areas.
Valmet specialists worked closely with the customer’s teams to support safe execution, adherence to technical specifications and compliance with the shutdown schedule, contributing to the long-term performance of the mill’s assets.
Integrated service execution
The service execution relied on a multidisciplinary and international team, demonstrating Valmet’s ability to mobilize specialized expertise where it is needed.
In total, 19 Valmet specialists from Chile and Brazil participated in the shutdown.
This regional collaboration enabled a smooth execution of the work, supported by detailed planning and effective coordination across all work fronts.
“Our focus as a contracts team is to facilitate technical work and support the customer by ensuring process clarity and continuous assistance for any requirement. At Puerto Esperanza, we worked closely with Arauco and Valmet’s technical teams, which enabled an organized execution aligned with the customer’s operational needs for this shutdown”, says Anna Paula Bilik, Contract Engineer at Valmet.
In parallel with the shutdown activities, a technology upgrade was performed on the bale presses, focused on modernizing the hydraulic system. The scope included the replacement of the valve block and main hydraulic blocks.
This upgrade was carried out by Valmet specialists from Sweden and introduced technological improvements aimed at increasing system reliability, efficiency and overall performance.
Safety, quality and schedule performance
All activities were completed according to schedule and without safety incidents, reinforcing Valmet’s strong commitment to safety and disciplined execution during complex shutdown projects.
“For the Valmet Field Services team of Chile, participating for the first time in the general mill shutdown at Arauco Puerto Esperanza was a very valuable experience. The joint work with international specialists, combined with rigorous planning and a strong safety focus, allowed us to meet the schedule with no incidents and contribute to the reliable performance of the customer’s operation”, highlights Luis Valenzuela, Technical Assistance Specialist Coordinator at Valmet.
This successful shutdown service further strengthens Valmet’s value proposition as a technical partner, capable of supporting customers during complex operational challenges.
It also reinforces global collaboration across Valmet units while opening new opportunities for future cooperation in the Latam region.