- La Rábida Energy Park was a pioneer in Spain in publishing its environmental data and was recognized in 2021 by the European Commission
- The results presented in the 2022 statement show significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and optimizing water consumption
- The event was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Ana María Vielba
As in each year since 1998, Cepsa presented today its voluntary Environmental Statement, a document endorsed by the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), which reports on the improvement of its environmental performance. The purpose is to communicate its results to society and stakeholders in general.
The event was attended by Ana María Vielba, Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines, who expressed her support for the sustainable development of industry in Huelva.
Twenty-five years ago, Cepsa decided to go beyond legal requirements and provide detailed information on the environmental impact of its operations in the province of Huelva. EMAS's support of this statement confirms the validity and rigor of the data presented. In 2021, the European Commission recognized the La Rábida Energy Park's work for providing the utmost transparency in its environmental management.
The environmental results presented in the 2022 statement demonstrate significant progress in greenhouse gas emission reductions, optimization of water consumption, and proper waste management. These achievements demonstrate Cepsa's commitment to protecting the natural environment and continuously improving its business practices, supported by the prestigious EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) recognition.
The directors of Cepsa's facilities in the province of Huelva, Esther González, from the Palos Chemical Plant, and Jorge Acitores, from the La Rábida Energy Park, presented the environmental results, highlighting the work carried out in 2022, which has been recognized with the European Union's prestigious EMAS certificate.
In 2022, La Rábida Energy Park's environmental investments totaled more than 41 million euros, including the construction of a volatile organic compound vapor recovery unit for hydrocarbon loading at the maritime terminal.
Investments regarding the adaptation of the units to maximize biofuel production have been particularly relevant, and although they have been produced for years, it is expected that their production will increase significantly in the short and medium term. Biodiesel is produced from raw materials other than petroleum hydrocarbons, namely vegetable oils and now also from waste cooking oil residues. A total of €9.6 million was invested in adapting the Gulfinishing Unit to produce diesel from vegetable oil, another €7.8 million in Hydrocracking for the same purpose, and €1.7 million in increasing the capacity of the vegetable oil supply network.
As a result, the production of advanced biofuels such as sustainable diesel (hydrogenated vegetable oil as a substitute for diesel) and SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) from used cooking oils has been a milestone, both in the H3 and H4 hydrodesulfurization units and in Gulfinishing, which has been adapted for this purpose. Producing fuels with a biodegradable feedstock content.
Fuel production with biodegradable feedstock content has reached 209,000 tons in 2022 between diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
Volatile organic compound emissions have been reduced by 73.79% by weight with respect to initial emissions, which sustains last year's good results. The LDAR detection program implemented at the La Rábida Energy Park has played a fundamental role in this regard.
In absolute terms, water consumption in the PELR has decreased by 2.1%, as has the indicator per ton of crude oil processed. This decrease in water consumption was mainly due to actions taken to reduce water consumption (increased conductivity in cooling towers, increased wastewater reuse, etc.). It should be noted that all this has been achieved despite the reduced quality of the water supply caused by last year's drought.
The La Rábida Energy Park's Integrated Environmental Authorization has been adapted to the changes brought about by the new projects as part of the company's strategy. The list of wastes produced at the facility has been updated, and the list of MARPOL wastes authorized to be managed at the facility has also been updated.
In addition to the above, progress has been made in updating the AAI to increase the
capacity to treat used cooking oils and animal fats to produce second-generation biofuels. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the environmental authorization obtained to process these raw materials in the Gulfinishing unit, which were processed in 2022 for the first time in the H3/H4 desulfurization units.
In the Palos Chemical Plant, the completion of two investment projects totaling €27.5 million is noteworthy, involving an improvement in liquid effluents and gas emissions, in addition to reductions in CO2 emissions due to operational conditions and improved energy efficiency.
Work also continued on developing and expanding the family of sustainable products made from renewable and circular raw materials.
As part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Cepsa, at its two facilities in Huelva, uses 100% green electricity guaranteed to be renewably sourced.
For Jorge Acitores, "since we joined the European EMAS Register in 1998, the first refinery in Spain to do so, we have committed ourselves to establishing transparent indicators of our environmental procedures, including the efficient use of resources. Renewing our inclusion in this registry for 25 years has meant ensuring compliance with legal environmental requirements at our facilities, and a commitment to an increasingly environmentally friendly approach, reducing risks and consolidating the achievements made."
For her part, Esther González stated that "as part of Cepsa's Positive Motion strategy, we are undertaking projects focused on decarbonizing our facilities, reducing our water footprint, increasing the circularity of waste and, above all, developing products that can be incorporated into our customers' value chain so that together we can achieve the goal of zero net emissions by 2050."
For her part, the Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Ana María Vielba, stressed that "the commitment to economic development is not and cannot be at odds with sustainability and environmental protection, but that the two must be made compatible". In this sense, she noted that "the future of industry is based on sustainability and the importance of sustainability in the industrial sector is growing." Accordingly, she stressed that this is an objective shared by companies and administrations and highlighted that the collaboration between the public sector and the business sector is "essential" to making Andalusia become a leading community in the implementation of renewable energies and sustainability.
The representative for the Environment of the Regional Government of Andalusia in Huelva, Pedro Yorquez, highlighted the voluntary nature of this environmental declaration, as it represents Cepsa's commitment to sustainable development in an economic activity. He noted that "25 years of environmental declarations underscore the resolve of this commitment. Cepsa and, therefore, Huelva, have become international references in the circular economy through commitments such as biofuel and green hydrogen in a true energy transition marked by transparency and social communication."
Presenting CEPSA's Environmental Statement in Huelva has not only made clear the company's commitment to sustainability, but also its vocation as a transparent company open to the public.
The complete document of the Environmental Statement of both facilities can be seen at the following link https://www.cepsa.com/es/sostenibilidad/medio-ambiente
In addition, Cepsa provides the public with an email address to address concerns and questions regarding its environmental performance comunicación.huelva@cepsa.com
