At a glance: Bolivian hydrocarbons company EBIH’s project pipeline

Bolivia’s state hydrocarbons industrialization company EBIH has outlined a pipeline of projects to advance development of the petrochemical industry and substitute imports.

EBIH was established following the nationalization of the hydrocarbons sector to help the country move away from being simply an exporter of hydrocarbons to a nation that can meet internal demand for value-added products and export surplus.

The company currently operates a plant (pictured) in El Alto, outside capital La Paz, that produces polyethylene pipes and accessories, principally for natural gas distribution but also for water projects.

As part of its mandate, the state operator is widening its footprint to include the production of fertilizer, which involves a 60,000t/y NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) granular fertilizer plant in Cochabamba.

The plant is scheduled to be completed in the coming months and the aim is to cover 100% of domestic demand for NPK and allow surplus to be sent abroad.

As part of its medium-term plan, visualization studies are underway for a second phase of the NPK plant, as well as production facilities for geomembrane and larger diameter pipes, the latter for sewerage and irrigation.

EBIH highlights that Bolivia imports around 8,000t/y of geomembrane and that new lines would be able to produce pipes with diameters of 140-315mm and 340-600mm, apart from the current 20-125mm.

And early-stage work is being carried out for long-term projects which envision the production of composite LPG cylinders, polyvinyl chloride and hydrocarbon refrigerant gases; plants to produce olefins, aromatics and methanol; and a biogas generation plant.

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