Bolivia’s minister of hydrocarbons says ‘Héroes de Senkata’ biodiesel plant 85% complete

Photo: Bolivia's Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy

Bolivia’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy announced Sept. 9 that Minister Alejandro Gallardo inspected the construction of the “Héroes de Senkata” biodiesel plant (Biodiesel Plant 2) in El Alto and verified that the project is 85 percent complete, with several units nearing completion.

Six months ago, the ministry said the project was entering its final phase of execution.

The infrastructure is being built by Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos with an investment of more than USD$66 million.

The plant, which will have the capacity to produce 1,500 barrels of biodiesel per day (approximately 22 million gallons per year), aims to reduce diesel imports, fuel subsidies and the outflow of foreign currency from the country.

It has also generated 500 direct jobs and 864 indirect jobs during its construction.

Upcoming milestones include mechanical completion scheduled for Nov. 27, commissioning on Nov. 28, production start on Dec. 2 and provisional delivery on Dec. 5.

The project is being executed by YPFB Refinación and includes a comprehensive scope ranging from basic and detailed engineering, equipment procurement, assembly of inside battery limits (ISBL) and outside battery limits (OSBL) facilities, unit integration, precommissioning and commissioning, to operation and maintenance.

“The success of the start-up will depend on the completion of the pretreatment, biodiesel and auxiliary-services units, which are already in the completion stage,” Gallardo explained during the inspection.

In parallel, Bolivia already has the Biodiesel Plant 1 in Santa Cruz, which the government said in September is “projected to produce its first environmentally friendly barrel this year.”

This statement, however, appears to contradict an announcement from the ministry in early 2024 stating that the plant had already begun production.