Repsol Begins SAF and Renewable Diesel Production at Cartagena Plant

(Cartagena, Spain) Global energy company Repsol (REP.MC) announced that it has initiated the large-scale production of renewable fuels - including renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) - at its industrial complex in Cartagena, Spain, according to SAF Investor.

Photo of Repsol’s Cartagena facility, courtesy of SAF Investor.

According to SAF Investor, Repsol invested €250 million ($316 million) into the construction of the plant, which has a production capacity of 250,000 tons per year and can produce both renewable diesel and SAF. The plant will process 300,000 tons of organic waste - using cooking oil, among other things - annually.

Repsol is certified under the ISCC-EU Voluntary Sustainability Scheme and the Spanish National Sustainability Verification System, and is thereby able to ensure the traceability and production of sustainable biofuels in accordance with Renewable Energy Directive (RED) standards, per SAF Investor.

Previously, on March 26th, Repsol and global agribusiness, food and renewable energy company Bunge announced a strategic partnership in Spain to boost renewable fuels supplies. Through the agreement, Repsol acquired 40% of three industrial facilities that are part of Bunge Iberia, one of Bunge’s subsidiaries in the Iberian Peninsula, for a total amount of $300 million plus up to $40 million in contingent payments. Bunge will continue to operate its three plants dedicated to the production of oils and biofuels in Bilbao, Barcelona and Cartagena - near Repsol’s industrial complexes located in the same regions - and will continue to act as a key producer of protein meals and vegetable oils as well as a distributor of agricultural commodities in Spain, according to a press release from Repsol.

The partnership with Bunge allows Repsol to significantly increase its access to a wide portfolio of low-carbon intensity feedstocks to produce renewable fuels, and to thereby accelerate the reduction of emissions from transport, including cars, trucks, airplanes, and shipping, according to Repsol.

Repsol currently maintains a production capacity of 1.1 million tons of renewable fuels per year - thereby saving the CO2 emissions equivalent of more than 1.7 million electric vehicles - and expects to increase its output by up to 55%, reaching 1.7 million tons by 2027, per Repsol.