Repsol

Cartagena, the Modern Refinery

The Repsol Refinery in Cartagena was inaugurated in 1951 and was a milestone in the history of the company by becoming the most modern refinery in Europe at that time.

This project was begun in REPESA (Refinería de Petróleos de Escombreras) that consolidated the refining industry. With an approximate area of 190 hectares, the Cartagena Refinery has an annual production capacity of 5.5 million tonnes of oil products.

Its facilities are divided into two large areas: One for fuel production and the other for lubricant bases, asphalts, paraffins and aromatic oils. It also has a storage yard with a total capacity of 3.3 million cubic metres, divided into different areas: The crude oil, finished product and petrol terminals. It additionally houses a tank yard for the Corporation of Strategic Reserves of Oil-based Products (CORES).

Expansion of the Cartagena Refinery 

The Cartagena Refinery once again sets the benchmark for the Spanish energy sector with the expansion of its facilities; the largest investment made in Spain, which is part of the key initiatives of the Repsol Horizon 2014 strategy.

The expansion project at the Cartagena Refinery includes a hydrocracker, a coker, atmospheric and vacuum distillation units and desulphurisation and hydrogen plants as its main units.

The €3,262 million investment will make this one of the most modern  facilities of its kind in the world and will double its capacity to 220,000 barrels/day.

This project will allow us to maximise clean fuel production for transport.  Over 50% of the products from the complex will be middle distillates, which will contribute to clearly reducing the deficit of products in Spain. When the Cartagena refinery project has been completed it will create around 700 jobs.

Environmental commitment 

The new Cartagena industrial complex arises with the aim of being a worldwide benchmark for the sector in sustainability. Below are some of the figures that show Repsol's environmental commitment in this project: 

• The sulphur recovery plants are designed with a sulphur recovery rate of 99.5%, clearly exceeding the highest environmental standards.
• Reducing emissions: 64% less NOx, 68% less SO2 and 80% less particulates.
• The impact on the global CO₂ balance will be practically identical, even when doubling the distillation capacity and increasing the conversion of the refinery.           

Related links:

• Expansion of the Cartagena Refinery Video
• Key factors
• Largest investment in history
• Details of the investment
• Safety in Cartagena             

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