Spanish energy and petrochemical group Repsol (Madrid; www.repsol.com) and German polyol recycling specialist Rampf Eco Solutions (Pirmasens; www.rampf-group.com) have announced a cooperation to boost polyurethane (PU) recycling in Europe.

Under the terms of the agreement, Repsol will have the exclusive right to develop and construct new recycled flexible polyol plants in Europe using Rampf’s technology. The two firms will also develop new polyols produced from different sources and qualities of post-consumer PU waste.

The partnership follows Repsol’s announcement last March about building the first PU recycling plant in Puertollano / Spain to produce circular polyols from end-of-life mattresses. The facility is to have more than 2,000 t/y capacity for processing post-consumer PU waste and is due to go onstream by the end of 2022 (see Plasteurope.com of 30.03.2021).

Repsol has embarked on a programme to transform its industrial complexes into multi-energy hubs capable of generating products with low, zero or even negative carbon footprints.

In separate news, Repsol has awarded a lumpsum turnkey contract with an approximate value of EUR 430m to Italy’s Tecnimont (Milan; www.mairetecnimont.com) for engineering, procurement and construction services for its polymer expansion in Sines / Portugal (see Plasteurope.com of 14.07.2021). The project comprises the construction of new PP and linear PE units, each with a capacity of 300,000 t/y. Completion is expected by 2025.