· Repsol has approved a historic investment in the Spanish region of Catalonia to build the first plant in Europe to transform urban waste into renewable methanol - a fuel that will help decarbonize transport - as well as circular products.
· This project represents a boost to economic growth and employment in the Tarragona area, with the creation of 340 jobs when the plant enters operation and 2,800 jobs during the construction phase.
· The facility, that will use gasification, the most advanced waste recovery technology, has received funding from the Innovation Fund of the European Union due to its high potential for reducing emissions and the innovative nature of the project.
Repsol has given the green light to invest in the Ecoplant, a pioneering project in Europe to transform urban waste into renewable fuels and circular products, adding a solution for reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector, while at the same time promoting the circular economy.
Located in Tarragona, this facility —expected to receive an investment of over €800 million— will become the first plant in Europe to produce renewable and circular methanol from waste through gasification, the world’s most advanced waste valorization process. This cutting-edge technology, developed by Enerkem - a technology company in which Repsol is a partner - gives a second life to waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or be incinerated.
The new plant will have the capacity to process up to 400,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per year and turn them into 240,000 tonnes of renewable fuels and circular products. The renewable methanol originates from organic waste, while the circular products come from non-organic waste, such as non-recyclable plastics.
The start-up of the plant, scheduled for 2029, will result in the creation of 340 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, as well as some 2,800 jobs during the construction phase. The Ecoplant will be integrated into Repsol's industrial complex in Tarragona to take advantage of existing infrastructures and accelerate the transformation of the center into a multi-energy hub that will continue to manufacture essential products for society, such as renewable fuels and circular materials. This investment is a clear commitment by Repsol to maintain industrial employment in Spain and to continue generating wealth in the surrounding area.
The Ecoplant has been selected by the European Union, from among more than 300 projects, to receive funding from the Innovation Fund program, due to its high potential for reducing emissions and its innovative nature and for being unique in Europe. According to the European Commission, the Ecoplant will reduce the equivalent of 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the first ten years of operation.
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