Pure Biofuels opens biodiesel facility in Peru

Web exclusive posted August 20, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. CST

Pure Biofuels Corp. announced August 18 that it has opened its main biodiesel production facility at Port Calleo near Lima, Peru. The 52.5 MMgy facility will use jatropha and algae as its primary feedstocks.

Infrastructure at the facility includes a mooring facility capable of receiving Panamax vessels holding up to approximately 6,600 tons of liquid cargo. The facility also includes Peru's two longest underwater pipes, which run approximately 2.5 miles and are 14 inches in diameter. The pipelines run to Pure Biofuels' tank farm for reception and delivery of raw materials, and allow access to other fuels for blending and for terminaling services.

"Our goal is to provide our customers with a renewable and biodegradable fuel option," said Chris Tewell, Pure Biofuels' board chairman. "We are pleased to have completed our flagship facility in time for the Peruvian mandate for 2 percent biodiesel that will take effect on January 1, 2009. This amount will be raised to 5 percent by 2011. As a next step, we look forward to carrying out our unique feedstock strategy in which we are cultivating Jatropha with the goal of meeting 80 percent of our feedstock needs with company-owned and harvested Jatropha by the year 2015. Our main goal is to work with raw materials not used for human consumption, therefore not requiring us to compete with water for farming or fields traditionally used for growing food."

The facility encompasses nearly 12 acres of land near the Port of Callao, which is the largest port on the Pacific Coast of South America. Pure Biofuels acquired the land in 2006. In 2007, the company acquired the 7 MMgy InterPacific refinery and recently completed its upgrade to 10MMgy. The InterPacific plant is located in Chorrillos, Lima, Peru, and is expected to be running at full capacity within the next few weeks. The combined output of Pure Biofuels' two facilities is 62.5 MMgy, making the company one of Latin America's largest biodiesel producers.