ANCAP (Administracion Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland) is Uruguay's state-owned energy and industrial company, established in 1931. The company holds a legal monopoly on petroleum refining in Uruguay and operates the La Teja refinery in Montevideo. ANCAP's product portfolio spans gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants, Portland cement, and industrial alcohol. The company also produces biofuels, including biodiesel from soybean oil and bioethanol from sugarcane, as part of Uruguay's renewable energy strategy. ANCAP distributes fuel through its network of service stations operated by subsidiary DUCSA.
Administracion Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP) is a cornerstone of Uruguay's industrial economy. Founded in 1931 during a period of state-led industrialization, the company was created to ensure national sovereignty over strategic energy resources. ANCAP operates the only petroleum refinery in Uruguay, located in the La Teja neighborhood of Montevideo, with a processing capacity of approximately 50,000 barrels per day. The refinery processes imported crude oil into gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, LPG, asphalt, and petrochemical feedstocks. Beyond petroleum, ANCAP is a major producer of Portland cement through its Paysandu plant, supplying a significant share of Uruguay's construction sector. The company's alcohol division produces industrial and fuel-grade ethanol. In recent years, ANCAP has invested in biofuel production, operating a biodiesel plant that converts soybean oil into renewable diesel. The company distributes its fuel products through DUCSA (Distribuidora Uruguaya de Combustibles S.A.), which manages a nationwide network of branded service stations. ANCAP also participates in offshore oil exploration in Uruguay's continental shelf and has partnerships with international energy companies for upstream activities.