Moeve and Bio-Oils Energy Advance €1.2 Billion SAF Project in Spain with Alfa Laval Technology

Moeve and Bio-Oils Energy Advance €1.2 Billion SAF Project in Spain with Alfa Laval Technology

(IN BRIEF) Moeve, in partnership with Bio-Oils Energy and supported by Alfa Laval technology, is advancing a €1.2 billion SAF production project in Spain. The new facility in Huelva, set to produce 500,000 tonnes of SAF and renewable diesel annually, will use waste fats and oils, ensuring no competition with food supplies. This initiative, in line with global sustainability goals, will reduce CO2 emissions by 75% and target net-zero emissions through renewable energy and efficiency systems. With a focus on decarbonizing aviation, the plant will double production capacity for renewable fuels and supports global efforts to meet the International Energy Agency’s SAF production targets.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUND, 28-Jan-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — In the ongoing pursuit of sustainable solutions to meet the world’s transportation and food demands, finding environmentally friendly ways to power aviation remains a critical challenge. Despite growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), its supply still falls far short of what’s needed to get aircraft flying globally. Additionally, the production of SAF often competes with food supply chains as it requires feedstock that could otherwise be used in the food sector. However, a groundbreaking joint venture between Moeve (formerly Cepsa) and Bio-Oils Energy, a subsidiary of the Apical Group, is set to ramp up SAF production without affecting food resources. This is thanks to a €1.2 billion project in Spain, supported by innovative technology from Alfa Laval.

Alfa Laval has been awarded the contract to supply essential pre-treatment equipment, which will play a key role in producing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of SAF annually at a new facility under construction in Huelva. The new plant, located in Palos de la Frontera, is designed to produce 500,000 tonnes of SAF and renewable diesel each year, using advanced feedstocks sourced from waste fats and oils. This sustainable approach ensures that production won’t interfere with food supplies, meeting rising biofuel demand while addressing global sustainability concerns.

Pratheepan Karunagaran, Executive Director of Apical, emphasized the significance of this venture, stating, “Our second-generation biofuels plant with Moeve, the largest of its kind in southern Europe, demonstrates how collaboration can unlock the potential of SAF and make its adoption scalable and affordable.” Maarten Wetselaar, CEO of Moeve, shared his excitement over the project’s potential to position the company as a European leader in green energy, stating, “This marks a milestone in our Positive Motion strategy, accelerating decarbonization in sectors like aviation that cannot yet rely on electrical power.”

The facility’s design, which includes two separate pre-treatment units from Alfa Laval, provides flexibility for processing various feedstocks, including used cooking oils and palm waste oils. This adaptability is vital as the future availability of feedstocks remains uncertain. The project’s scope will double Moeve and Bio-Oils Energy’s renewable fuel production capacity to one million tonnes annually, contributing to the global effort to meet the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) targets for SAF production, which are expected to reach 40% of all fuel production by 2030.

In addition to producing SAF, the plant will be a leader in sustainability. It will reduce CO2 emissions by 75% compared to traditional biofuel plants and aims to achieve net-zero emissions through the use of 100% renewable electricity, energy-efficient systems, and water reclamation processes.

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SOURCE: Alfa Laval