BY UE STUDIO

Updated Friday,12May2023-12:51

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Digging the Channel Tunnel, and shaking hands underground on the European continent and the United Kingdom, required the involvement of 8,000 people, half of them working from each of the two banks. 10,000 scientists contributed their knowledge and work over the years to develop CERN's particle accelerator and begin to unravel the deep mysteries of matter. Some 25,000 workers did their bit to build the Three Gorges Dam in China and retain the waters of the Yangtze River, the third longest in the world...

To become a reality, the great works of architecture, engineering and human innovation have always required the talent, commitment and effort of great professionals from different disciplines. People who pose a challenge, people who respond to it, people who drive it and execute it...

Something similar is currently happening with the energy transition. To decarbonise human activity, different solutions will be necessary (the incorporation of renewable fuels into transport, renewable electricity generation, the use of renewable hydrogen in industry...) and enormous investments and industrial transformations will be required, but the contribution of mechanics, chemists, engineers, managers, operators... And, of course, from end users.

KEY TO DECARBONISING TRANSPORT

An example of this are renewable fuels, which, although perhaps less known than electric vehicles, will be a key piece in the energy transition. To begin with, because they are net zero, so they will help reduce CO2 emissions in all transport sectors, especially in maritime transport, aviation or heavy road transport, where electric motors are not yet a viable alternative. But also because they are compatible with current vehicles, without the need for mechanical adaptations.

Elena María Agenjos, head of tanks and terminal at the Repsol industrial complex in Cartagena.

Hence, the people who work on the construction of Repsol's advanced biofuels plant in Cartagena, the first in the Iberian Peninsula to produce this type of renewable fuel, speak with enthusiasm of the initiative to which they dedicate their talent. "I am very proud to be able to participate with my work to achieve this challenge that society puts on us," says Elena María Agenjos, an industrial engineer by training and head of tanks and terminals at Repsol.

The start-up of the plant in which the multi-energy company will invest more than 200 million euros is scheduled for before the end of 2023. The use of advanced biofuels that it will produce will prevent the emission into the atmosphere of 900,000 tons of CO2. The figure, by itself, may not say much, but its equivalence: that amount of CO2 is what 45 million trees absorb or the reduction in emissions that a fleet of three million electric cars would achieve throughout their life cycle.

"It is an exciting project that allows me to continue learning and see a plant grow from scratch," agrees Antonio Rivera, area manager at the complex.

Agenjos and Rivera are two of the 1,000 professionals who will participate in the project, from the design phase to commissioning, through the current construction process. "The challenge to build a plant like this is not to interrupt the dynamics of an industrial complex on a daily basis, in which they already work with 1,600 people," explains Daniel Zubiela, construction manager of the project, who underlines the positive impact it has on the environment. "Adding up to 240 auxiliary companies has meant an increase in work in the industrial sector of the region.

Daniel Zubiela, head of construction at Repsol's advanced biofuels plant in Cartagena.

FUTURE FOR RURAL SPAIN

Figures like these perfectly describe the positive economic impact that advanced biofuels will have. In addition, the beneficial effects will also reach rural Spain, supplier of organic waste that serves as raw material with which this type of renewable fuels is made: agricultural pruning, surplus slurry, forest biomass ... along with used frying oil.

Micaela García, panelist at the Repsol industrial complex in Cartagena.

In addition, not only will the waste from the countryside be used to decarbonize transport from a circular economy approach, but doing so will reduce the carbon footprint of its activities.

INNOVATION AND PEOPLE

"I find very remarkable the transformation effort and the continuous changes that are being made in the processes to reduce carbon emissions, introduce renewable products and always be evolving, trying to improve ...", underlines Micaela García, panelist with 23 years of experience in the company.

Adela Alemán, process engineer and coordinator of Repsol's advanced biofuels plant in Cartagena.

"Innovation is fundamental, because without it it would be impossible to achieve the emission reduction objectives and it will allow us to develop new technologies to reach our decarbonization objective," says Adela Alemán, process engineer and project coordinator.

A challenge that will facilitate the energy transition of other sectors thanks to solutions such as renewable fuels. "Repsol is making an enormous effort to transform itself and turn industrial complexes into multi-energy hubs in which we create products with low or no emissions," adds Alemán.

What is clear is that to build and start up a plant like the one in Cartagena requires more than economic investment. The talent, effort and commitment to the energy transition of professionals such as Antonio, Elena, Daniel, Micaela and Adela are essential.

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