Project Overview
Bolivia produces approximately 3 million tonnes of soybeans annually in the Santa Cruz Department yet imports over 70% of its cooking oil from Argentina and Brazil. This client — a Santa Cruz entrepreneur — became Bolivia's first local soybean oil processor in the region, breaking the import dependency for the Santa Cruz market and supplying Hipermaxi and Fidalga supermarket chains with locally produced refined soybean oil.
The project was notable not just for the equipment supply but for the comprehensive support infrastructure SinoOil built around a first-time oil mill operator: Spanish-language HMI, photo-illustrated operator manual in simple Spanish, SENASAG registration documentation support, and a 6-month WhatsApp remote technical support protocol with guaranteed 2-hour response time.
Challenge
The primary challenge was not technical complexity — this is a standard 20 TPD soybean processing line. The challenge was operational readiness: the client had no prior oil mill experience, no technical staff with food processing background, and no local engineering support available for Chinese machinery. SENASAG registration required documentation that is complex for a first-time food processor. The client needed a supplier who would function as a partner beyond equipment delivery.
Import Substitution Impact: Bolivia's edible oil import bill exceeds USD 100 million annually. The Santa Cruz plant demonstrates that local processing at 20 TPD scale is viable and competitive — achieving 35% cost savings vs imported refined oil from Argentina/Brazil.
Solution
SinoOil provided a standard 20 TPD soybean plant (4× 6YL-160 presses, BASY-320 plate filter, 1.5 T/batch DNBWD refinery) with a Spanish-language PLC HMI as standard. Additionally included: a Spanish-language operator manual with photographs for every process step; SENASAG documentation package (HACCP templates, product registration forms, Spanish-language analytical certificate templates); a remote monitoring camera system linked to WhatsApp video troubleshooting; and a 6-month support protocol with dedicated engineer assignment.
The WNS-0.3T/h steam generator was sized for the 1.5T refinery batch. The batch refinery (DNBWD — Degumming, Neutralizing, Bleaching, Winterizing, Deodorizing) produces food-grade refined soybean oil meeting SENASAG specifications. The Spanish PLC panel includes alarm descriptions in Spanish to guide operator response without needing to contact support for every minor event.