Bolivia announces plans for 500 MMly biodiesel plant
April 14, 2021
BY Erin Voegele
The government of Bolivia in March announced plans to construct a biodiesel plant, according to a report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network. The company first approved the production of biodiesel in 2019.
According to the report, the proposed plant will be built in Santa Cruz, a city located in central Bolivia. The facility is expected to have the capacity to produce 500 MMly (132.09 MMgy), with operations scheduled to begin in 2024.
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The plant will be built by the state-owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos. A competitive bidding process for the contract to construct the facility is expected to be announced during the second half of this year.
The Bolivian government plans to implement a mandate requiring a B5 blend of diesel. The report estimates approximately 105 million liters of biodiesel annually would be required to meet that blend mandate. That volume of production would require an estimated 95,000 metric tons of soybean oil, equating to approximately 20 percent of Bolivia’s current soy crop.
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According to the report, the biodiesel project is expected to open a new market for Bolivia’s soybean producers while reducing fuel imports.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from the USDA FAS GAIN website.
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