en.Wedoany.com Reported - Repsol has strengthened its position as a producer and marketer of renewable fuels by starting up its second 100% renewable fuel plant at the Puertollano Industrial Complex in Ciudad Real, Spain. With an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes, the company's overall capacity is further enhanced, adding to the 250,000 tonnes of renewable fuel produced annually at the Cartagena plant.
With this new facility, Repsol is advancing the transformation of its industrial centers toward a circular economy-based production model, producing key products with a lower carbon footprint. To develop this project, the company invested €130 million, marking the first time on the Iberian Peninsula that a refinery processing fossil-based feedstocks has been converted into a facility capable of handling used cooking oil and other waste from the agri-food industry.
The 200,000 tonnes of renewable diesel produced annually at this plant can be used directly in cars, trucks, and ships, leveraging existing refueling infrastructure. Compared to the conventional fuels they replace, considering the entire product lifecycle, using these fuels can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 700,000 tonnes per year.
Antonio Lorenzo, Director of the Repsol Puertollano Industrial Complex, stated that the start-up of this plant marks another step forward in the company's commitment to renewable liquid fuels and the transformation of the complex, aiming to establish it as a leading industrial hub in the circular economy and renewable fuels. Antonio Lorenzo noted that this project is one of the most ambitious implemented at the Puertollano Industrial Complex in recent years, demonstrating Repsol's commitment to industry, the creation of quality jobs, and solutions that help strengthen Spain's energy independence.
During the construction and commissioning phases, over 650,000 man-hours were accumulated, involving approximately 80 subcontractors (mostly local), with an average daily workforce of over 110 people, peaking at more than 250 workers. Integrating the new unit into the complex's production system was a key achievement of the project, requiring the installation of large equipment, including reactors specifically designed for this type of production, while adjusting auxiliary services and existing logistics infrastructure.
The new unit will use renewable hydrogen, further reducing the CO2 footprint of the diesel produced by up to 98% compared to mineral-based fuels. The renewable hydrogen will be produced within the industrial complex by replacing natural gas with biogas generated from waste. To achieve this integration, Repsol made an additional investment of €16 million.
Renewable fuels are one of the pillars of Repsol's multi-energy strategy to decarbonize transportation, as they can be used directly in existing engines without the need to modify vehicles, distribution, or refueling infrastructure. Repsol already sells its 100% renewable Nexa diesel at over 1,600 service stations in Spain and Portugal and continues to expand this network. Additionally, the company produces bio-aviation fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel, SAF) from organic waste at the Puertollano Industrial Complex, supplying it to major airlines.
Over the past five years, Repsol has invested nearly €800 million in Puertollano in transformation and future-oriented projects that have enhanced the competitiveness of the industrial complex and opened up new markets. Among the projects implemented at the site is the installation of the only plant on the Iberian Peninsula for producing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a material known as a "super polymer" due to its high strength properties (comparable to steel), used in manufacturing medical prosthetics and bulletproof textiles. The new plant is expected to begin operations in the coming weeks. Other industrial developments have already enabled the production of high-value-added products and enhanced the complex's competitiveness, such as the Reciclex range of recycled plastic materials and the production of recycled polyols from mattress foam using technology unique in Spain.
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