Bolivian cement project hits gas supply issue

Bolivian cement producer Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (Soboce) said that investments in the sector have been stalled by the lack of energy to build new plants.

Soboce planned to invest around US$160m in a new 0.8Mta cement works in the municipality of Port Suárez, Yacuses, but the lack of gas supply, which was to be delivered by state-owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), to the site delayed the project.

Soboce president, Samuel Doria Medina closely-linked the cement industry to the development of the country. “Nevertheless, we have not been able to make the investments we need to in the cement sector,” he said. “We had everything ready to build a cement works in Santa Cruz and the only thing required was gas.”