Spanish oil and chemicals group Repsol SA has launched a major 60 million euro ($68.5 million) plant upgrade and modernization program at its Puertollano Industrial complex in central southern Spain.
Projects aimed at improving competitiveness and manufacturing efficiency include adapting the production capacity of the olefins plant, increasing the output of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resins and investment to raise propylene processing at the polypropylene unit.
Repsol intends to adjust monomer output at the olefins unit to meet the demand for added value products in a sustainable and efficient way. Investments will be made to improve energy efficiency in all the chemical plants.
The vast majority of the maintenance and modification work during the two month shutdown which began Feb. 1 will be carried out by Repsol group's own subsidiaries.
EVA resin represents a specialized and key value added product area for Repsol which it only manufactures at the Puertollano complex. Work there, part of the group's wider chemicals competitiveness plan, will see EVA production increase by 7 percent, it said.
Repsol originally announced it planned to increase its capacity of EVA copolymers including the upgrade of the five production units at the Puertollano complex. The main aim of the investment was to raise output of EVA copolymers with a high vinyl acetate content for hot melt adhesive applications.