Agricultura, forestación y producción de pasta de celulosa, minería, infraestructura, son las áreas más elegidas por capitales principalmente extranjeros para ubicarse en el país.
Agriculture, forestation and cellulose pulp production, mining and infrastructure are the areas chosen by the foreign capital to settle in the country.

Indian mining company Aratiri is considering exploiting iron, Brazilian Votorantim decided to exploit limestone deposits in Quebrada de los Cuervos, Treinta y Tres department, and a Uruguayan company is considering exploiting limestone there as well.

There are several infrastructure projects. One of them is a port in La Charqueada, also in Treinta y Tres department, which was introduced last year. In addition, there are two other projects to build a coal power plant, another to establish wind farms and a huge agroindustrial project in Placidos Rosas, Cerro Largo department.

According to Radio El Espectador from Uruguay, the plans to build a grain terminal on Tacuari River, which divides both departments, are highly developed. Also on Tacuari River there are plans to build a mineral terminal from where to export limestone to Brazil.

Meanwhile, Portuguese company Portucel expressed to the Executive their interest to install a cellulose pulp mill in Uruguay. Some years ago, the company stated their intention to settle in the South American country, and there have been several meetings with the national government. Then, it was reported that Portucel could be established in Brazil instead of Uruguay, but this was never confirmed. The company´s investment would surpass 1.5 billion dollars.

Finnish company UPM-Kymmene has installed a pulp mill in Fray Bentos, Rio Negro department, and the joint venture between Stora Enso (Sweden-Finland) and Arauco (Chile) has plans to install another one.

Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro, Senator for the ruling party, Frente Amplio, warned that the departments of Treinta y Tres, Cerro Largo and Rocha will suffer serious impacts if these projects advance and if measures to face these impacts are not taken. According to El Espectador, he explained that these initiatives will cause a strong migration to these areas, and as a consequence, there will be accommodation, health and sanitation problems.

The Senator considers these departments are not prepared for the sanitary and environmental controls required.

Also, these projects will use Laguna Merin and oceanic coasts of the department of Rocha to export production. Fernandez Huidobro stated that the Navy does not have a strong presence in that area, and that a strong deployment will be necessary.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schaeffer/