Project in Uruguay: impressions and challenges halfway through it shared by Aivaras Kamas, our CEO.
About a year ago, the PASSER SIDC team started working on an exciting two-year project in exotic Uruguay led by Project Manager Romualdas Jurevicius. Once completed, a new modern pulp mill will host around 2,000 jobs. Halfway through the project, it is a perfect time to review and analyze challenges and unforeseen situations the team has met and discuss what helps them to keep progressing towards the result, etc.
Do you encounter any challenges while working on this project? How do you overcome them?
Any project you work on has challenges; it all depends on how you react and deal with them. In this project, challenges were magnified further by the upheaval of the pandemic, presenting a complex of issues such as closed borders, shortage of skilled workers, etc.
Did you experience any other unforeseen situations? How did you deal with them?
The start of the war in Ukraine presented unexpectedly massive challenges for us. Around 60% of the people working on this project were from Ukraine, and we lost a significant number of employees in just one night. To resolve staff shortages, the managing team had to move fast and recruit new workers. The other challenge was a totally different working culture compared to Europe, followed by strikes.
How do you manage/ balance stress and self-care while dealing with all this?
There was and is no time to stress; we need to work through and solve all the challenges on our way to completing this project.
When will this project be completed? Does work meet the projected deadlines?
Works are progressing towards a scheduled completion deadline (87% percent of this project completed to date) and will be finished in October with the Hydro test and delivery of final documentation.
How many employees are working on this project at the moment?
A hundred people from different countries are working on this project. It is an international team including local people and talents from Lithuania, Ukraine, India and Turkey.
In Uruguay, are there any disruptions to the energy supply and other resources?
No, all is good and running smoothly with this one.
Are you experiencing any difficulties with material supply?
Yes, there is a problem with consumables as we just cannot get them, so we have to order everything we need from Europe and ship it to Uruguay. That is a really big challenge because we have to plan everything very well.
What lessons have been learned in this project so far?
There are so many of them that it is difficult to even start listing them. I can say that we acquired so much experience on this project so far that, in my opinion, now we are much stronger than ever before.
What do you want to wish for yourself /your team while moving on and completing this project?
Firstly, I want to thank everyone who worked there – they did a really good job. Also, I wish all the best in other future challenges. With this team, we can now conquer Everest.
