Technip Energies awarded 2 services contracts for waste-to-methanol Ecoplanta project in Spain

The plant and technology will divert waste from landfills to produce low-carbon methanol.

Technip Energies announced Oct. 1 that it has been awarded two engineering services contracts by Repsol for the development of the Ecoplanta Molecular Recycling Solutions (Ecoplanta) project, a first-of-a-kind waste-to-methanol facility to be built in El Morell, near Tarragona, Spain.

The plant will be the first in Europe to transform at scale nonrecyclable municipal solid waste and biomass into renewable and circular methanol.

By diverting waste from landfills to produce low-carbon methanol, it will enable to reduce CO2 emissions in hard-to-abate sectors and use of renewable fuels.

The project supports European ambitions for circularity and the broader transition to a more sustainable industrial model.

Utilizing Enerkem’s cutting-edge gasification technology, the facility will process up to 400,000 tons of residual municipal waste annually and produce approximately 240,000 tons of methanol, a renewable alternative that can be used to manufacture new circular materials and to produce advanced biofuels.

As part of its role in the project, Technip Energies has been awarded two contracts covering the entire delivery scope: one for the Enerkem core process, developed in partnership between Enerkem and Technip Energies, and the other for the balance of plant, ensuring the integration of all the project units.

Under these contracts, Technip Energies will provide engineering and procurement services.

The company will also oversee the integration of Enerkem’s gasification technology, which converts nonrecyclable waste into renewable fuels and chemicals.

Building on the strategic collaboration agreement signed between Technip Energies and Enerkem in 2024, this award “illustrates the strength of the partnership in accelerating the deployment of circular solutions at scale,” Technip Energies stated.

The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Innovation Fund and is expected to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 3.4 million tons of CO2-equivalent over its first 10 years of operation.

“We are honored to be part of the Ecoplanta project, a landmark in circularity and a breakthrough for waste-based feedstock transformation in Europe,” said Sylvain Cabalery, an executive at Technip Energies. “These awards build on the strategic partnership we established with Enerkem last year and underscore our shared commitment to scaling circular solutions. Supporting the first commercial-scale facility of its kind in Europe illustrates our commitment for a more circular and sustainable future in the Iberian Peninsula, and the ability of our technology, products and services (TPS) segment in driving innovation.”