Repsol will invest more than €1.4 billion in energy transition projects in Tarragona

Press Release 22/03/2021 22:45

The Chairman of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, today took part in the presentation of the "Calípolis" project, a series of 11 initiatives that involve investments totaling €259.5 million, headed by Repsol together with the Port of Tarragona and the Town Council of Vila-Seca.
The project contemplates the expansion of Repsol's port facilities. This will allow the elimination of the current monobuoy, located in the open sea, by making it possible to dock large ships on the port jetty, as well as improving flexibility of supply of raw materials with the installation of two underground deposits.
At the event, Brufau announced Repsol's future projects in Tarragona, totaling investments of more than €1.4 billion, within the framework of the company's 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and the Next Generation funds.

22 March 2021 - 12:00 CET | PDF | 144.97 KB

The Chairman of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, today took part in the presentation of the Calípolis Next Generation project, a plan for the economic recovery of the province of Tarragona. Together with the Port of Tarragona and the Town Council of Vila-Seca, Repsol has presented this proposal to convert a large area, straddling the Pineda and the port area, into a new economic engine for industry, intermodal logistics, tourism, and landscaping. As an example of public-private collaboration and common vision of the key sectors of the territory, the three entities have presented a series of 11 innovative projects involving a total investment of €259.5 million. Within this framework, Repsol's two initiatives amount to €41 million.

The Calípolis project includes the development of a new Logistics Activities Zone (ZAL) and the recovery of a protected area included in the Natura 2000 Network, located between the La Pineda beach and the Port of Tarragona. The plan also foresees the recovery of marine life with the installation of a biotope reef, and the new Prats breakwater will close the waters of the commercial Port of Tarragona and protect the natural environment of the Costa Dorada. This area will be pedestrianized and will integrate tourist infrastructures for social and recreational use.

The expansion of Repsol's port facilities will allow the berthing of large ships on its jetty and improve the flexibility of supply of raw materials with the construction of two underground tanks. These actions will improve Repsol's logistics network in the Port of Tarragona, thereby guaranteeing its efficiency and competitiveness, and will allow for the removal of the current monobuoy, located in the open sea.

Energy transition projects in Tarragona

During the event, Antonio Brufau outlined the vectors being promoted by Repsol to transform its industrial assets and convert facilities such as the Tarragona Industrial Complex into multi-energy hubs, in accordance with the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan presented by the company on November 26 last year.

To address this process, Repsol will rely on four main pillars: energy efficiency, circular economy, renewable hydrogen, and the capture and use of CO2. The aim is to move towards a decarbonization of the economy while promoting a new industrial drive based on digitalization and technology.

Repsol is considering projects for its Industrial complex in Tarragona that are mainly focused on the circular economy with a total investment of more than €1.4 billion over the next five years. The site, that has already begun this transformation to become a multi-energy hub with initiatives such as the production of a first batch of biofuel for aviation (biojet) and the first plant in the Iberian Peninsula for the manufacture of high-impact-resistant polymers, will also see the construction of an advanced biofuels plant, a facility to produce plastics from the recycling of post-consumer materials and the implementation of technologies to improve efficiency in the consumption of raw materials and energy in its production processes.

These initiatives and others that Repsol is currently promoting in partnership with others have been included in the Catalonian Next Generation program, promoted by the Regional Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Together with Calípolis, they will create traction for other companies and will thus be a great support for the area’s economy in the coming years. With them, Repsol is ready to lead the transformation of Tarragona’s Petrochemicals industry so that it continues to be a leader in southern Europe. To guarantee this momentum, the support of the institutions and a regulatory environment that allows and enables this investment oriented to the circular economy and with a marked technological and digital character, is also necessary.

Engine of economic growth and job creation

In the last five years, Repsol has invested €558 million in its Tarragona Industrial Complex.

The company is one of the main drivers of economic growth and job creation in Tarragona. Its industrial facilities have a highly versatile production scheme and a highly qualified team of employees. It generates more than 7,500 jobs in Tarragona, including direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and it represents around 40% of the traffic in the Port of Tarragona. Repsol’s industrial complex in Tarragona alone represents more than 2% of the GDP of the region of Catalonia.

2021-2025 Strategic Plan

On November 26 last year, Repsol presented its Strategic Plan for the period 2021-2025. It marks the beginning of the transformation of the company in the coming years and will involve an acceleration in the energy transition to continue successfully advancing towards the goal of becoming a net zero emissions company by 2050.

Repsol's industrial complexes will continue to evolve to become multi-energy hubs, capable of producing products with a low, zero, or even a negative carbon footprint and driving new business models based on digitalization and technology.

The 2021-2025 Strategic Plan envisages a total investment of €18.3 billion between 2021 and 2025. The industrial business will maintain its high competitiveness and the leadership of its assets in Europe, build new platforms in carbon-neutral businesses, and reduce its emissions by more than two million tons of CO₂.