Alfa Laval to provide 2 pretreatment units for Spanish renewable diesel, SAF project

Photo: Moeve

Driving the global energy transition towards biofuels, Alfa Laval announced Nov. 13 that it has secured two contracts worth 350 million Swedish krona (USD$31.8 million) to supply hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) pretreatment technology to Europe’s largest biofuel facility.

The facility, a joint venture between Cepsa Bioenergia San Roque S.L. (now Moeve) and Bio-Oils Energy, part of the Apical Group, will produce 500,000 metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel annually, addressing the growing demand for cleaner, renewable energy sources.

The facility, planned to be up and running in 2026, is currently under construction in Huelva, Spain.

The construction of the plant is an important step on the journey towards decarbonizing the global transportation sector and will double CBSR’s total renewable fuels production capacity to 1 million tons a year.

Alfa Laval’s food-and-water division will supply two different pretreatment units to CBSR’s 1.2-billion-euro (USD$1.265 billion) project.

The plant is designed to emit 75 percent less CO2 than a traditional biofuel plant.

Biofuels are crucial in the decarbonization of society, providing a low-carbon solution for existing technologies.

In the transportation sector, they play a significant role in the shift towards net-zero emissions.

The current demand for biofuels, however, far exceeds the available supply, highlighting the need for increased production and innovation to meet this growing need. 

“The biggest challenge in the biofuel industry is to triple the capacity by 2030,” said Sammy Hulpiau, the president of Alfa Laval’s food-and-water division. “The volume increase is essential, and we are excited for Alfa Laval to play an important role in this transition. The trust placed in us by CBSR ensures that Alfa Laval significantly contributes to the necessary increase of biofuels in aviation, and the transformation of the entire industry.”