British ambassador to Spain visits BP refinery in Castellón

Photo: BP

BP announced in April that the British ambassador to Spain, Sir Alex Ellis, visited the BP refinery in Castellón to learn more about its ongoing transformation into an integrated energy hub, which will encompass the production of renewable hydrogen and traditional fuels such as diesel and gasoline, as well as the coprocessing of renewable fuels.

In the second half of 2025, the refinery will increase its biofuel-coprocessing capacity from 210,000 tons per year to 330,000 tons.

Future plans for this facility include evaluating the potential for installing a renewable fuel production plant.

Accompanied by Olvido Moraleda, the president of BP Spain, and Francisco Quintana, the director of the BP refinery in Castellón, the ambassador toured the refinery facilities, which began operations around 60 years ago and currently directly employs 534 people.

He was particularly interested in the deep historical connection between this energy infrastructure and the Valencian community.

“It was a pleasure to visit the BP refinery in Castellón and discover firsthand the various renewable fuel projects it is carrying out,” Ellis said. “BP is a major British investor with a long history in Spain and the Valencian community, and I welcome its commitment to innovation and the energy transition.”

Moraleda added, “Sir Alex Ellis’ visit is a great opportunity to demonstrate that BP is committed to providing the secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply that Spain needs today and in the future. The process of transforming the refinery into an integrated energy hub will allow for the incorporation of low-carbon technologies such as green hydrogen and increased production of renewable fuels.”

At the end of 2024, BP closed a 10-year agreement with Migasa for the supply of up to 40,000 tons per year of nonfood industrial waste from vegetable oil to be converted into renewable fuels at the Castellón refinery.

This facility was BP’s first facility to coproduce biofuels in 2016 and the first production asset globally to be certified under the CORSIA scheme in 2021 for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

In addition, construction work continues on a 25-megawatt hydrogen plant in Castellón, partnering with Iberdrola, to produce 2,800 tons of green hydrogen per year, with the potential to avoid 23,000 tons of CO2 annually.

The plant is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026.