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Waste valorization in downstream chemistry

Ecoplanta: A project for non-recyclable municipal waste recovery

First circular methanol plant in Spain

Repsol has been developing the Ecoplanta Molecular Recycling Solution (Ecoplanta) project for several years, together with Enerkem as technological leader. This project will become the first plant in Spain for non-recyclable municipal waste recovery into methanol, which will be used to manufacture new materials and advanced biofuels. It is planned to be located in El Morell (Tarragona).

The plant, which is expected to start operations in 2029, will have the capacity to process up to 400,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per year and convert it into 240,000 tonnes of renewable fuels and circular products. Renewable methanol originates from organic waste, while circular products come from non-organic waste, such as non-recyclable plastics.

State-of-the-art technology for processing non-recyclable municipal waste

With this waste, around 240,000 tonnes of circular methanol and biomethanol, with IMPCA quality1, will be produced, which can be used as a raw material for the production of circular materials as well as biofuels for the decarbonization of transport, therefore contributing to circularity objectives and reduction of GHG emissions.

The process will allow non-recyclable municipal waste to be transformed into high value-added products, achieving 3.4 Mt CO2eq of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions over the first ten years of operation, as well as giving a second life to the waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill or incineration plants.

1. IMPCA International Methanol Producers and Consumers Association

Circular benefits

  • We are reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and incineration plants.

  • We are offering a solution to non-recyclable municipal waste management in Tarragona and the surrounding areas.

  • We are providing our customers more sustainable and innovative solutions by introducing new circular methanol to the market to produce circular materials and biofuels.

  • We are minimizing the consumption of virgin raw materials, thus strengthening our commitment to the circular economy and advancing towards our ambition of becoming a net zero emissions company by 2050.

Some figures

400,000

tonnes/year

waste converted into new circular and bio-materials

240,000

tonnes/year

of circular methanol to produce circular materials and biofuels

3.4 Mt

CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions

2029 year

of start up

Ecoplanta: The only Spanish project pre-selected for the European Innovation Fund 2021

This non-recyclable municipal waste recovery project has been pre-selected among more than 300 large-scale projects for its contribution to the fight against climate change. This selection demonstrates the European Union's support for promoters of highly innovative projects and its desire to help implement the technology. Specifically, the gasification technology was highlighted for its innovation, reduction in carbon emissions, and scalability.

Ecoplanta will strongly contribute to achieving the ambitious waste management objectives for the 2030-2035 horizon. Together with the improvement of selective collection, anaerobic digestion, and mechanical and chemical recycling, it will make it possible to achieve the recycling objectives and minimize the disposal of waste in landfills and incineration, as well as the improvements that this reduction in the use of landfills represents for the environment.

European Union Innovation Fund logo

 

The ECOPLANTA project has been funded by the European Union's Innovation Fund program under grant agreement No. 101051308. The views and opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the CINEA can be held responsible for them.

 

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Updated as of August 2026