The much delayed Bioenergia ethanol plant -- being developed by state-controlled Ecopetrol -- produced its first liter of biofuels in eastern Colombia this week, beginning a ramp up that by the end of 2017 should have the 504,000 liter/day facility operating at full capacity.
The $400 million facility, which when completed will include a 20,000-hectare sugar plantation, began operations late Wednesday, the company said. It is located in eastern Meta state, in the Puerto Lopez township. Currently, 17,300 hectares have been planted with cane.
"With the production of the first liter of ethanol, we begin the stabilization stage of the plant [and aim] to reach continuous production sometime in the first quarter of 2017 and sustainable operation of what would be the largest biofuels complex in Colombia's Orinoco region," Rafael Pittaluga, general manager of Bioenergia, said in a late Thursday statement. Cost overruns and delays at the project, which is more than a year behind schedule, are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the nation's comptroller's office.
Once fully operational, Bionergia will boost the country's current output of 1.65 million liters/day by 30%. Most of the ethanol produced at the facility will be sent to central Colombia, including the capital Bogota.
The complex also includes a 35-MW power plant to make it energy self-sufficient. Excess electricity will be fed into the national power grid, the company said.
The project represents an effort to expand ethanol production capacity outside of the southwestern Cauca Valley, the hub of the national sugar industry and home to six ethanol plants.
Industry sources say the part of the delay was due to difficulties in finding the right sugar cane varieties for the leeched out soils of eastern Colombia's Orinoco River basin.
Colombian law currently calls for each gallon of gasoline sold at the pump to include 10% ethanol. In addition, all diesel sold in the country must include 8% biodiesel, which is made with the oil of African palm plants.
An additional ethanol plant financed by a Colombian-Swedish consortium called Grupo GPC is due to come online in 2017 using manioc plants for its feedstock. The $100 million project is also located in Meta state.
