Both foreign ministers insisted they would always try to avoid a conflict similar to the 2006 dispute over the Botnia (now UPM) pulp mill Foreign Ministers Mario Lubetkin of Uruguay and Pablo Quirno of Argentina met in Montevideo on Wednesday to discuss the proposed HIF Global green hydrogen and synthetic fuels plant in Paysandú and its possible environmental ramifications.
The Chilean company plans to locate the facility on a property adjacent to the Uruguay River and the protected Islas del Queguay area, just three kilometers from the Argentine city of Colón in the province of Entre Ríos.
Following the two-hour gathering, a joint statement was issued confirming that Uruguayan authorities would incorporate these considerations into the ongoing project analysis, in particular those related to the localization and the corresponding ‘visual contamination’.
The Argentine delegation included Entre Ríos Governor Rogelio Frigerio and Colón Mayor José Luis Walser, underscoring the local nature of the concerns.
The sitdown followed a letter from Argentine social and environmental organizations —including the General Labor Confederation (CGT)—requesting that Uruguay reject the proposed location.
Both top diplomats emphasized the constructive nature of the dialogue, contrasting it with past conflicts.
Quirno stressed that Argentina respects Uruguay’s legal process for analyzing investments and is not opposed to the investment itself, stating that if there is something that the Argentine Government would never oppose, it is investment. He emphasized that the Uruguay River unites us, it does not separate us.
Lubetkin concurred, assuring that the development of Uruguay will not go against the development of Argentina, nor vice versa.
The meeting took place just days after Uruguay’s Environment Ministry granted the project the environmental viability of localization (Classification C) required for initiatives with potentially significant negative impacts.
Paysandú Mayor Nicolás Olivera acknowledged the superlative concern regarding the plant’s location and its potential to affect especially the visual part of Colón. He confirmed that the company would be instructed to remedy the situation and ensure no community is affected.
Olivera also addressed concerns about the plant’s significant water usage (1,557 cubic meters per hour), arguing that the amount is infinitesimal compared to the Uruguay River’s flow. He expressed confidence in the Uruguayan State’s environmental rigor, stating that no investment, no matter how large, should proceed without the care of the environment.
Both foreign ministers insisted they would always try to avoid a conflict similar to the 2006 dispute over the Botnia (now UPM) pulp mill.
