Repsol has taken a new step in the mission of decarbonizing transportation with the start of large-scale production of renewable fuels at the Cartagena facilities.
This factory, the first in the Iberian Peninsula dedicated exclusively to the production of 100% renewable fuels and in which 250 million euros have been invested, has a production capacity of 250,000 tons per year.
At these facilities, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will be produced, avoiding the emission of 900,000 tons of CO2 per year, as they represent a 90% reduction in net carbon dioxide emissions compared to the mineral fuel they replace, due to the lower carbon intensity of the renewable fuel.
The renewable fuel, produced from organic waste such as used cooking oils or agri-food waste, giving a second life to these materials, is a quick and sustainable solution for decarbonizing all transport sectors, as it can be used in cars, trucks, buses, ships, or planes, using existing refueling infrastructure. This type of fuel has reached Repsol’s service stations in the Iberian Peninsula, available at more than 140 locations. The goal is to reach 600 by the end of this year and 1,900 by 2027.
According to Repsol’s General Director of Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy, Juan Abascal, “With this first factory in the Iberian Peninsula, we take another step in our transformation towards decarbonization, with a cutting-edge technological project.”
The Cartagena factory will process 300,000 tons of organic waste per year, prioritizing those of national and European origin. To ensure the increasing demand for raw materials less carbon-intensive for the production of renewable fuels, Repsol has signed a strategic agreement with Bunge through which it acquires 40% of three industrial facilities dedicated to the production of oils and biofuels in Bilbau, Barcelona, and Cartagena, near the company’s industrial complexes. To guarantee traceability and the production of sustainable biofuels in accordance with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) standards, Repsol has obtained certifications from the ISCC-UE Voluntary Sustainability Scheme and the Spanish National Sustainability Verification System. Currently, Repsol has strategic partnerships with leading companies in the road transport, passenger transport, and cruise sectors throughout the Iberian Peninsula. To promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel in commercial flights, the multi-energy company has worked with airlines such as Iberia, Ryanair, Vueling, and Air Europa.The new Cartagena factory, whose production of renewable fuels represents 5% of its total diesel production and 17% of its kerosene production, will be joined by a second factory in Puertollano in 2025. After an investment of 120 million euros, one of the units of the industrial complex will be converted to produce 240,000 tons of renewable fuels. Repsol also plans to replicate this model in a third industrial center in Spain by 2030.
Juan Abascal highlighted Repsol’s commitment to transforming its six industrial complexes in the Iberian Peninsula into decarbonized multi-energy centers, capable of processing all types of raw materials to produce materials with a reduced carbon footprint. These centers will promote new business models based on digitization and technology. This industrial transformation will be based on four pillars: energy efficiency, circular economy, renewable hydrogen, and CO2 capture, utilization, and storage. “Our roadmap demonstrates Repsol’s commitment to the industry, job creation, and wealth generation. In this way, we contribute to the development and territorial cohesion in disadvantaged areas and in offering solutions that increase Spain’s energy independence,” added the company’s Director General of Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy.
Repsol aims to achieve a total capacity of renewable fuel production, including renewable hydrogen and biomethane, between 1.5 and 1.7 million tons by 2027 and up to 2.7 million tons by 2030, and to lead the market for this type of fuels in the Iberian Peninsula. With this project, and with the initiatives already underway, the company is at the forefront of the sector in terms of renewable fuel production capacity.
The company has one of the most efficient refining systems in Europe, thanks to an investment of around one billion euros per year, on average, over the last decade, during which the European Union lost 24 refineries, about 10% of its production capacity for fuels mainly used in road transport. Repsol’s refineries employ about 28,000 people, including direct, indirect, and induced employment.
In addition to renewable fuels, the company is also focused on synthetic fuels (or e-fuels), produced from renewable hydrogen and CO2 captured from the atmosphere, with an industrial demonstration project near Petronor.
In its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, Repsol plans to invest up to 6.8 billion euros in the company’s industrial businesses, 44% of which will be dedicated exclusively to low-carbon projects, conditioned by the evolution of the regulatory and fiscal framework, including initiatives in renewable fuels, biomethane, renewable hydrogen, and waste gasification, among others.
