Cepsa and Bio-Oils, the Apical biofuels company, have announced this Friday the creation of a joint company to promote the construction of the second generation biofuels plant that the energy company has projected in the La Rábida Energy Park, in Huelva and which contemplates an investment of 1,000 million euros and the generation of 2,000 jobs during its construction.
The new plant, which Cepsa describes as “the largest of this type of fuel in southern Europe, will ensure the majority of the supply of raw material, coming from organic waste such as agricultural waste or used cooking oils, through an agreement global and long-term agreement with Apical, parent company of Bio-Oils, making it possible to address one of the main challenges facing the industry: access to raw materials.
2G biofuels promote the circular economy, by using waste for their production that would otherwise end up in landfills. Cepsa will contribute its technical capacity and know-how in the development of large industrial projects and fuel production, as well as knowledge of the European market and the decarbonisation objectives of its clients in the transport sector. For their part, Apical and Bio-Oils will ensure the supply of raw materials and contribute their experience in the production of biofuels.
“This alliance is a decisive step in our strategy to lead biofuels in Spain and Portugal and positions Andalusia as a European benchmark in the production of sustainable energy and circular economy. Second-generation biofuels are an immediate solution to favor the energy transition of our customers, as they can be used in conventional engines, while allowing local development and increasing energy autonomy in Europe”, Maarten Wetselaar assured this Friday, CEO of Cepsa during the presentation of the business agreement that took place at the La Rábida Energy Park itself, in which Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, president of the Junta de AndalucÃa, Maarten Wetselaar, CEO of Cepsa, Óscar GarcÃa, CEO, participated of Bio-Oils, and Dato’ Yeo How, president of Grupo Apical.
The construction of this new plant responds to Cepsa’s objective of leading the manufacture of 2G biofuels in Spain and Portugal. In 2030, the company will have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tons of biofuels, of which 800,000 tons will be from SAF, an amount of sustainable aviation fuel sufficient to fly over the planet 2,000 times.
This alliance is in line with the European Green Deal and the European Commission’s Fit for 55 set of measures, which includes a legislative initiative called ‘RefuelEU Aviation’, which aims to boost the supply and demand of aviation biofuels in the European Union, reaching a use of 2% in 2025, 5% in 2030 and 63% in 2050. “The agreement will serve to position Spain as a benchmark in the supply of SAF to airlines,” the company says.
