Construction underway on renewable diesel, SAF plant in Spain

Madrid-based energy company Repsol has begun construction on its renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) biorefinery at the company’s petroleum complex in Cartagena, Spain. Repsol is investing 200 million euros in the project to manufacture approximately 85 million gallons a year of renewable diesel, SAF, bionaphtha and biopropane from wastes and residues, including used cooking oil.

“With this project, Cartagena is going to consolidate itself as a supply center of fundamental products for the present and for the future, and an example of Repsol's commitment to sustainable mobility,” said Antonio Brufau, chairman of Repsol.

Repsol's goal is to use 3 million tons of waste per year to produce approximately 680 million gallons of low-carbon fuels by 2030, which will mitigate more than 7 million tons of CO2 per year, the company stated.

The project is being developed in three different areas of the refinery complex, including the hydrotreating unit, the hydrogen production unit, and the biofuel storage tank area, as well as in port facilities where Repsol operates. The port will be equipped with infrastructure to store 300,000 tons of waste feedstock and product for supply to domestic and export markets.

At the refinery, work has already begun on construction of the tanks that will store the fuel, in addition to civil works related to installation of concrete structures and placement of racks for the pipelines that will carry feedstock and finished fuel throughout the plant.

More than 25 contracting companies and approximately 300 people are already working inside the refinery. Since the project was launched, Repsol has spent more than 72 million euros on the preliminary engineering work, commissioning of equipment, and auxiliary company labor.