Desmet Ballestra to design YPFB’s biodiesel and HVO plants

In Bolivia, the Biodiesel-1 Plant will be built with advanced technology equipment that will be manufactured in Europe, Asia, Brazil and other countries in order to reduce imports and subsidies for diesel. The delivery of the Order to Proceed, between representatives of YPFB Refining and the Desmet Ballestra company, will make the implementation of the complex feasible. The event was highlighted with the participation of the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora.

The Biodiesel-1 Plant will be made up of the Raw Material Pre-treatment Unit and the Biodiesel Production Unit, which will consist of more than 131 pieces of equipment, including a nano pre-treatment reactor and three special reactors designed and manufactured by the technologist Desmet Ballestra with an experience of more than 120 biodiesel plants around the world and another significant amount in South America. The contract not only includes the final design and supply of around 130 pieces of equipment, but also provides technical assistance for operator training activities, pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up and performance testing, among others. Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) advances with the implementation activities of the biofuel plant and announces the strategic alliance with the largest manufacturer of biofuel plants.

The estimated investment for the entire project, which includes Biodiesel Plant-1, Biodiesel Plant 2 and HVO, is $387 million with a production of 12,000 barrels per day. The first plant to be built is Biodiesel-1 at a cost of $40 million, with an estimated production of 1,500 barrels per day.