Reusing water from urban wastewater treatment plants in our industrial complexes
Water is an increasingly scarce resource and at the same time essential for the operation of our production processes, and at Repsol we use it efficiently and sustainably. Therefore, working to reduce water withdrawal and reuse this resource as much as possible is part of our strategy, thus showing our commitment to the circular economy and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Tarragona Industrial Complex Project
An example of this commitment is the participation of our Tarragona Industrial Complex in a circular economy project aimed at reusing water from urban wastewater plants in the towns of Tarragona and Vilaseca. Even though this water is not suitable for human consumption, it's rather suitable for industrial processes, particularly in the complex's cooling towers and steam generation boilers.
This project, which has been in operation since 2012, first consists in collecting urban waste water at the discharge point before it reaches the sea. Then, after undergoing a treatment process followed by demineralization by reverse osmosis membranes, it is distributed to companies that consume it. This reduces water withdrawal from the Ebro and Gaià rivers, resulting in more water available to the communities in the area.
Since we launched this project in which we're the main partners, we have used 40% of the total water treated, which represents a priority source of our supply. It has also reduced by around 10% the overall freshwater consumption, which can be used for other purposes.
Contributing to the United Nations 2030 Agenda
SDG 6
Clean water and sanitation
SDG 12
Responsible consumption and production
Circular benefits
Classification by key lines and value chain
Our circular economy projects are aligned with the key lines of our strategy and are present throughout our entire value chain, from obtaining raw materials to commercializing products and services.
Find out more about our circular economy projects
Find out more
