Buried the controversy with the ‘imposarazo’ -“you will be happy with today’s vote,” President Pedro Sánchez told the CEO of Repsol, Josu Jon Imaz in Davos after the rejection in Congress to the extraordinary tax on the great energy- , the company has decided to reactivate its investments. Thus, Repsol’s Board of Directors has given today Green light to investment in the ecoplantsan installation that will be in Tarragona, and in which it is planned to invest more than 800 million euros.
Ecoplanta is a Pioneer project in Europe To transform urban waste into renewable fuels and circular products, becoming a solution for the reduction of CO2 emissions into transport, while encouraging the circular economy.
The installation will become the first floor of Europe that Renewable methanol and circular methanol manufactures from wastethrough gasification, the most advanced waste valorization process in the world. This state -of -the -art technology, developed by Enerkem – a technologist from which Repsol is a partner – gives a second life to waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerated.
The project had been paralyzed waiting for the Government to decide in turn end the energy tax. The first time the investment was parked was there by 2022, when the Spanish government first announced the extraordinary tax. Repsol then communicated the paralysis of its investments in the face of “fiscal uncertainty,” causing the estimated opening of the ecoplants to be delayed from 2026 to 2028.
The extraordinary tax on energy was a proposal arising from the investiture agreement signed PSOE and add to finance the measures that were launched to alleviate the effect of the energy crisis during the beginning of the war of Ukraine. This would apply only to companies that invoice more than 1,000 million euros, including Repsol, as well as Endesa, Naturgy, Iberdrola and Cepsa.
This tax was extended for two years and the government considered becoming a permanent figure within its fiscal equilibrium plan sent to the European Union. But it was not until last Wednesday, January 22, when the PP, Vox, PNV and Junts joined their votes to knock down the extraordinary tax on great energy. Imaz, asked by Sánchez if he was happy with the result, he replied very politely but firm: “I think today as two years ago”, referring to the fact that he was even in writing: in two articles in the press in August in August 2022 and In September 2024. Sánchez then said: “You have to look at the future,” in which entrepreneurs understood that it is the good goodbye to the imposite.
Process urban solid waste
The new plant will have the capacity to process up to 400,000 tons of urban solid waste a year and turn them into 240,000 tons of renewable fuels and circular products. Renewable methanol originates in organic waste, while circular products come from non -organic, such as non -recyclable plastics.
Its implementation, scheduled for 2029will be the creation of 340 direct, indirect and induced, high specialization, and about 2,800 during the construction phase. The ecoplants will be integrated into the Repsol industrial complex in Tarragona to take advantage of existing infrastructure and accelerate the transformation of the center into a multienergetic pole that continues to manufacture essential products for society, such as renewable fuels and circular materials. This investment is a clear Repsol commitment to maintain industrial employment in Spain and continue generating wealth in the environment.
The ecoplants has been Selected by the European Union Among more than 300 projects to receive financing through the Innovation Fund program, for its high potential to reduce emissions, its innovative character and for being a unique installation in Europe. According to the European Commission, the Ecoplanta will reduce during the first 10 years of operation the equivalent of 3.4 million tons of CO2 in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
A solution to decarbonize transportation
The European Union has designed a route to gradually reduce carbon intensity of the energy used in maritime transport, in 40% by 2030 compared to the 2018 levels, and in 75% by 2050 compared to 2020 levels.
At present, the most efficient options to meet these objectives are the Renewable diesel —What Repsol already manufactures in its Cartagena plant – and the renewable methanol, which will be manufactured in the ecoplants. These technologies are complementary to meet the demand for maritime and technologically mature transport for implementation, compared to other alternatives such as renewable hydrogen, ammonia or electrification of marine thrusters, which still require development and large investments in the renewal of fleets and in fuel distribution.
He renewable methanol It will also be used in road transport, as a raw material in the manufacture of renewable gasoline and diesel. From it, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can also occur. Likewise, methanol is very versatile in the chemical industry, with multiple uses in the automotive or construction industry and in applications as diverse as health, food and electronics.
According to data from Irena and Methanol Institute, the overall demand of methanol will grow until the current one in 2050, driven by the use of renewable methanol in maritime transport, road and aviation, as well as in applications for chemistry. Given the high potential of this waste valuation model, Repsol analyzes the viability of replicating it in other regions.
According to a company statement, Repsol has the ambition to lead the production of renewable fuels in the Iberian Peninsula. Its objective is to produce between 1.5 and 1.7 million tons in 2027 and up to 2.7 million tons per year in 2030 (including renewable and biomethane hydrogen). The company also aims to manufacture in 2027 up to 105,000 tons per year of circular products and 200,000 tons in 2030.
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