Bolivian refinery gets green light to produce diesel amid shortage

A private refinery in Cuatro Cañadas, Bolivia, has been granted permission to import crude oil and begin producing much-needed diesel and gasoline, offering a potential solution to the ongoing fuel crisis in Santa Cruz.

The refinery, owned by Recicladora Agroindustrial del Este SRL and located in a key agricultural zone, will commence operations with an output of 1.35 million liters of diesel per month. Its ambitious projection is to scale up production to one million liters per day within the next year. This expansion, if realized, could supply approximately one-third of Santa Cruz's daily diesel demand, according to Minister of Productive Development Óscar Mario Justiniano.

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In less than a year they can reach one million liters a day.

David Walt is the private investor behind the project, and Elias Cuentas, the project chief, detailed the refinery's technical specifications. The facility is designed to maximize diesel production from crude oil processing, directly addressing the needs of the Cuatro Cañadas region, where agriculture heavily relies on fuel for operations. The refinery's ability to import crude oil is facilitated under Supreme Decree 5603.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as diesel queues persist in Santa Cruz and agricultural producers urgently require fuel. The refinery's phased approach, starting with monthly production figures and aiming for daily targets, signals a strategic plan to boost domestic fuel supply and support the region's economic activities.

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If we are talking about this plant, with a superior investment, in less than a year it can produce a third of what all of Santa Cruz requires in a day, of course it is a solution.