Petronor, part of the Repsol group, expects the e-fuels plant it is building in the Port of Bilbao to be fully operational by early 2027. Elixabete Etxanobe, Head of the Bizkaia Provincial Council, has visited the plant site accompanied by other local authorities, including Ivan Jimenez, President of the Port Authority, coinciding with the arrival by sea of the 1,200-tonne mechanical structure on which all the equipment is to be mounted, a complex operation involving more than 190 people.

This structure will be used to produce e-fuels using captured CO2 and renewable hydrogen produced by the 10 MW electrolyser at the plant also set up at the same site in the port. The investment required to commission the e-fuels plant, which will be capable of producing 2,000 tonnes of fuel per year, amounts to 146 million euros, equipping it with innovative and experimental technology that will confer pioneer status on the plant and make it one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world.

Using captured CO2 and renewable hydrogen produced by the 10 MW electrolyser, also located at the decarbonisation hub, the plant will produce synthetic fuels such as diesel, SAF and naphtha, the main component of petrol. These products have similar characteristics to conventional fuels and can be used in any current vehicle, such as cars, lorries, ships or aeroplanes.

Petronor, jointly owned by Repsol and Kutxabank, is Bizkaia’s main industrial driver. The company directly employs 940 people and indirectly provides employment for more than 6,000. Over the last five years, it has invested more than 1.2 billion euros and hired 201 people.
Source: Port of Bilbao