Tehdasvalo’s Victor Retrofit Solution Delivered Significant Energy Savings and Improved Efficiency at UPM’s Pulp Mill
UPM Fray Bentos is one of the world’s most advanced pulp mills, producing bleached eucalyptus pulp in Uruguay. Operating since 2007, the mill plays a significant role in both the region’s industrial sector and energy production.
The facility employs more than 800 people and has an annual production capacity of 1.3 million tonnes of pulp. The pulp is transported by barge to the Port of Nueva Palmira and then shipped to customers across Europe and Asia.
The Challenge: Upgrading an Aging Lighting System
The UPM Fray Bentos mill was equipped with Victor industrial lights installed during the plant’s construction in 2006–2007. These fixtures used 100 W and 150 W high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, which no longer met today’s energy efficiency standards.
Replacing the entire lighting system in the mill’s low-ceiling production areas with new lights would have required extensive rewiring and installation work, significantly increasing both costs and project duration.
The primary driver for the upgrade was energy efficiency. Maintenance requirements for the old lamps were also considerable, as they needed to be replaced approximately every three years, whereas LED technology offers an expected service life of more than ten years.
Another challenge involved insect attraction. Some of the older lights—particularly those from other manufacturers—emitted UV radiation from their metal halide lamps, attracting large numbers of insects. Tehdasvalo’s original lights generated less UV radiation, but with LED technology this issue is eliminated entirely, as LEDs produce no UV radiation.
How the Project Began
Following the original lighting installation, Tehdasvalo continued supplying replacement lamps and spare parts to the mill for many years.
When UPM decided to transition to LED lighting, two alternatives were considered: replacing the existing lights entirely or upgrading the Tehdasvalo lights.
At the same time, UPM received a competing proposal for completely new lighting fixtures. Since many of the existing lights were mounted on brackets, replacing them would also have required new mounting brackets compatible with the new fixtures.
Ultimately, Tehdasvalo’s solution proved to be the superior and more cost-effective option.
The Solution: Victor Retrofit Upgrade Kit
UPM selected the most practical solution by upgrading its industrial lighting with Tehdasvalo’s Victor Retrofit upgrade kit.
Between 2021 and 2024, approximately 1,900 Victor ST/MT 150 W lights were upgraded to modern 96 W LED technology. This delivered a substantial improvement in energy efficiency without requiring major structural modifications.
Energy savings:
The original lights had a power consumption of 170 W, while the upgraded LED versions consume only 96 W—resulting in approximately 45% energy savings per luminaire.
Giving Existing Lighting a New Life
The upgrade delivered several significant benefits.
The new LED technology dramatically reduced energy consumption, lowering both electricity costs and the mill’s carbon footprint. The solution was also highly cost-effective because it required no new cabling, mounting brackets, or changes to the existing lighting layout.
In addition, the LED upgrade provides a long service life with minimal maintenance requirements, significantly reducing maintenance work and lifecycle costs.
As a trusted long-term partner to UPM, Tehdasvalo delivered the lighting modernization efficiently, reliably, and with minimal disruption to operations.
Thanks to the Victor Retrofit upgrade kit, UPM Fray Bentos achieved a modern, energy-efficient lighting solution without the need for major investments in entirely new lights. The project demonstrates how existing infrastructure can be successfully upgraded to improve lighting quality while significantly reducing energy consumption.
Tehdasvalo is proud to provide UPM with innovative and sustainable lighting solutions. Our expertise and the proven reliability of our products enable us to help industrial customers around the world achieve similar improvements in energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational performance.
