Chevron delivers ever-cleaner energy in Colombia

Colombia

Alejandro Riveros, Chevron Petroleum Company’s corporate affairs manager for Colombia and Central America, talks to The Energy Year about how the company is paving the way for more sustainable fuels in Colombia and its initiatives to support local communities and the environment. Chevron Petroleum Company is a leading supplier of fuel and lubricants in Colombia.

How is Chevron paving the way for more sustainable fuels in Colombia?
We are committed to delivering ever-cleaner energy in a safe and reliable manner. That is why our fuels in Colombia are delivered with a 10% biofuel blend, providing the country with cleaner fuel. Last year, following national government policy, we introduced biofuel blending to the San Andrés Archipelago for the first time in its history.
In Chevron Corporation, we aim to lead in efficient and lower-carbon production of traditional energy, which is in high demand today and for years to come. At the same time, we are committed to growing our lower-carbon businesses, which will play a larger role in the future. According to our Sustainability Report, we aim to increase renewable fuel production capacity for renewable diesel, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel to 100,000 barrels per day by 2030 while expanding feedstock supplies.
We believe renewable fuels can help reduce the lifecycle carbon intensity of transportation fuels today. We are investing to grow our production and supply capabilities in new energies, including renewable fuels, carbon capture and offsets, hydrogen and other emerging technologies.

What is the importance of industry in securing Colombia’s energy needs now and in the coming years given the country’s developing energy transition agenda?
In Colombia, liquid fuels remain very important. Currently, 96% of the total vehicle fleet, which includes around 7 million vehicles and 11.5 million motorbikes circulating in the country, uses gasoline and diesel. Additionally, about 130 million tonnes of cargo are transported annually by land, and 47 million passengers travel by aircraft that use jet fuel.
The Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP) reports that liquid fuels account for 42% of the country’s final energy consumption. These fuels are primarily used in the transportation and industrial sectors, enabling the normal functioning of our daily lives by facilitating mobility and the transportation of essential items such as food and medicines.
Considering this, a conscious and responsible energy transition can translate into sustainable economic growth, increased energy security and energy reliability, to which Chevron can contribute its experience and knowledge with the experience of several years at the international level and can promote these initiatives in the regions of the country where we operate.

Tell us about Chevron’s commitment to ESG initiatives in Colombia.
Chevron has been operating in Colombia for over 100 years and has been decidedly dedicated to supplying the energy needed by the country. We are committed to making a positive impact on the communities where we operate. To achieve this, we focus on developing projects that rely on nature-based solutions, as well as initiatives to promote education and prevent domestic violence.
In recent years, we have developed projects that have benefited ecosystems and communities all over the country, especially in the regions of San Andrés and Providencia, Valle del Cauca, Bolívar, Magdalena and Sucre. At Chevron Colombia, we do a social immersion approach in which we identify the main challenges faced by the communities and collaborate with local organisations to create initiatives aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and advancing education.
Furthermore, Chevron’s corporate approach to sustainability is integrated throughout our business. We strive to protect the environment, empower people and get results the right way. Our purpose is to develop the affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy that enables human progress. To achieve global energy and environmental goals, diverse energy solutions will be necessary. We are working to develop better processes, deploy new technologies, and invest in innovation.

What specific programmes has Chevron fostered to preserve the integrity of coral reefs and children in impoverished communities?
At Chevron Colombia, we seek to be an ally of the communities where we operate and to make a positive contribution to their development. Therefore, we are actively working to address major challenges such as the increasing impact on coral reefs and the high incidence of domestic violence in the country.
Although coral reefs cover just 0.2% of the ocean floor, they are home to at least 25% of marine species and offer important advantages to coastal communities. However, increasing ocean temperatures have significantly harmed these ecosystems, causing coral bleaching and loss. To mitigate this, Chevron Colombia has been working since 2021 on nature-based solutions for coral conservation and restoration. This has allowed us to monitor more than 5,000 square metres of reefs, issue coral bleaching alerts, and raise awareness among communities and authorities about their situation.
In 2024, in partnership with the Blue Indigo Foundation, through the Reefs of Unity programme, we are training local people and authorities in San Andrés in coral restoration skills and raising awareness of the importance of conserving these ecosystems among children and adolescents.
On the other hand, at Chevron, we firmly believe in the transformative power of education in shaping the social landscape of Colombia. Our project identified, with information provided by the Ministry of Education, that certain regions of the country experience high levels of domestic violence, and there is an urgent need to take action to address this situation.
For this reason, for 20 years we have had an alliance with Corporación Juego y Niñez through which we have supported initiatives for the prevention of violence and the right to play. For example, our programme Familias que Cuidan [Families who Care] seeks to promote loving parenting processes by providing support to families and training social actors. Additionally, we have contributed to the establishment of toy libraries in San Andrés and Yumbo, including training for staff and ongoing support for their operations. As a result, we have been able to serve over 2,000 children and adolescents who have utilised the toy library services in the past year.

Chevron has been in the country for more than 100 years, what vision does the company have for the development of the business in the coming years?
Our investment plan estimates that over the next few years, we will allocate more resources to continue improving the capacity and excellence of our infrastructure in the country. Case in point, Chevron will provide in 2024 over USD 1.3 million to enhance and upgrade its operating systems at our terminals in Cartagena and San Andres, including airport and terminal facilities.
In 2023, we announced the completion of infrastructure upgrades at the San Andrés fuel terminal to meet the national government’s requirement to supply ethanol-blended fuel, which is more environmentally friendly, on the island. These upgrades involved Chevron’s investments of USD 1.8 million in tank adaptation works, pumping systems and other enhancements.

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