Up to 1 billion euro investment in Cepsa’s Energy Park in Huelva
- The new plant will secure the majority of its feedstock supply from organic waste through a global, long-term agreement with Apical Group, the parent company of Bio-Oils in Huelva
- Plant capacity will feature flexible annual production of 500,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel to further decarbonize aviation, maritime and land transportation, enabling the reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 90%, compared to traditional fuels
- Approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs to be created during construction and operation
- The President of the Regional Government, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, said: “Cepsa has been investing in Huelva and Andalusia for almost 60 years and has been an active part and main player in the progress experienced in our land. Cepsa has made an outstanding contribution to our progress and to the creation of employment, with almost 8,000 direct and indirect jobs. Big bets like Cepsa's confirm that we are on the right track."
- Maarten Wetselaar, Cepsa CEO, stated: "This alliance is a decisive step in our strategy to lead biofuels in Spain and Portugal and positions Andalusia as a European benchmark in sustainable energy production and the circular economy."
- Óscar García, CEO of Bio-Oils, said: “Cepsa has been Bio-Oils’ largest customer for many years. We share many operational advantages such as interconnection and operating adjacent facilities, and using the Reina Sofia berth for the charge/discharge of our products through Cepsa vessels. This new JV is a natural evolution of our existing relationship.”
- Dato' Yeo How, President of Apical, said: “Apical’s ample supply of high quality second generation feedstock is key to ensuring the new joint venture delivers on our shared vision to reduce GHG emissions in land, sea and air transport.”
- Cepsa aims to become the leading provider of 2G biofuels in Spain and Portugal. The company will have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tons of biofuels by 2030
The new plant will secure the majority of the feedstock supply from organic waste such as agricultural residue or used cooking oils through a global, long-term agreement with Apical, Bio-Oils' parent company, enabling it to address one of the key challenges facing the industry: access to feedstock. 2G biofuels promote the circular economy by using waste for their production that would otherwise end up in landfills.
Cepsa will contribute its technical expertise and experience in the development of large industrial projects and fuel production as well as its knowledge of the European market and the decarbonization goals of its customers in the transport sector. Apical and Bio-Oils will ensure the supply of raw materials and contribute their own expertise in biofuels production.
The new plant, which will create approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs during its construction and operation phase, will include two pretreatment units and the capacity for flexible annual production of 500,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel for land, sea and air transportation. The plant is scheduled to begin operating in the first half of 2026.
The facility will be constructed with the latest technology specifically created for the production of this type of biofuels. Designed as a digital native plant, the new operation incorporates state-of-the-art technology including the latest industry advances in artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT) and data analysis to maximize process efficiency, and ensure the highest standards of safety and environmental protection.
The sustainable fuels developed in this new plant will save 1.5 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, equivalent to 30% of emissions in the province of Huelva. The use of biofuels can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional fuels, making biofuels a key element in enabling a fair energy transition to decarbonize transportation, particularly in sectors where electrification is complex, such as heavy road, maritime, and air transportation. Cepsa’s chemical business, will also benefit from this project having access to organic waste feedstocks for the production of their sustainable product portfolio.
The project was presented this morning at La Rábida Energy Park with the participation of Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, President of the Regional Government of Andalusia; Maarten Wetselaar, Cepsa CEO; Óscar García, Bio-Oils CEO; and Dato’ Yeo How, President, Apical Group.
During his speech, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, highlighted: “Cepsa has been investing in Huelva and Andalusia for almost 60 years and has been an active part and main player in the progress experienced in our land. Cepsa has made an outstanding contribution to our progress and to the creation of employment, with almost 8,000 direct and indirect jobs. Big bets like Cepsa's confirm that we are on the right track."
