Petropar's alcohol plant in Mauricio José Troche, in the Guairá department, is facing a severe financial crisis, with estimated annual losses of $5 million. Producing one liter of alcohol at the plant costs about G. 11,000, while the same product can be purchased on the market for approximately G. 6,000, according to data from the state-owned company itself.
To keep the plant operational, Petropar has made several multi-million dollar contracts, including outsourced electromechanical services for G. 5,000 million, awarded to Cabipal Metalmek S.A., represented by Denes Schussmuller. In addition, contracts for motor rewinding services and the acquisition of spare parts were signed, totaling more than G. 2,800 million.
William Wilka, president of Petropar, confirmed that part of the sugar cane produced in the region will be processed by private mills, such as Azucarera Paraguaya S.A. and Neualco S.A., due to the Troche plant's inability to process all the raw material. However, the terms of these agreements have not been fully clarified, raising questions about transparency and the costs involved.
The situation is worsened by allegations that the plant primarily serves to support political operators of the National Republican Association (ANR), Paraguay's ruling Colorado party, in the region. Furthermore, the partnership with Neualco S.A., a company linked to Carlos Morínigo Gamell, a partner of the ambassador to the United States, Gustavo Leite, has also been criticized due to previous contracts that benefited the company at above-market prices.
Despite the investments, Petropar has failed to ensure the processing of all the sugar cane forecast for the current harvest, leaving between 50,000 and 100,000 tons to be processed by private mills. The lack of clarity over who will pay for the processing and how the alcohol produced at these mills will be compensated remains a point of concern.