This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Nuevas inversiones de Cepsa en refino y petroquímica

Cepsa will build a new plant of reformed light naphtha (RNL) in La Rabida and will expand the production capacity of Ertisa

New investment of Cepsa in refining and petrochemical

Drafting QU01/12/2004

Cepsa will invest more than 300 million euros in the construction of a reformed light naphtha (RNL) plant at its refinery La Rábida, to produce 220,000 t / benzene and 75 t/day of hydrogen; and enlargement in 60 per cent of the facilities of its petrochemical subsidiary Ertisa. The completion of the new investment is scheduled for the second half of 2006.

The investment of Cepsa for the construction of the plant in La Rabida refinery, reformed light naphtha (RNL) amounted to EUR 160 million. The plant will employ 25 workers, helping to consolidate the 700 direct jobs and the many others indirect that generates the refinery and will bring more value to your production process.

The reformed light naphtha plant will use Aromax technology, patented by the company Chevron Phillips Chemical, which will offer its consultancy and support services to Cepsa during the process of design and construction of the plant, whose completion is scheduled for the second half of 2006, date in which also completed the extension of Ertisa works.

The new plant will produce 220,000 tonnes of benzene, and 75 tons per day of hydrogen, as well as other products.

Investments in progress

In the period January-September of 2004, Cepsa has invested a total of 394 million euros. In refining and distribution is where, in this exercise, he has made more intense investment effort to, among other projects:

Constructed two new floors of hydrodesulfurization, one for the treatment of gas oils in the refinery of San Roque, Cádiz, and one for gasoline in La Rabida, Huelva.
Reshape other four already existing plants in the three refineries, whose main objective is to reduce the sulphur content of petrol and diesel to comply with the specifications of the existing commercial products from January 2005.
Continue the development of the facilities necessary for the commercialization of butane and propane home storage, packaging and distribution.
In Gas and electricity, completed the construction of the power of cycle combined in San Roque, Cádiz.

Refinery la Rábida
Product	Current capacity	Capacity of the plant of RNL	Total capacity
Benzene	141,000 tonnes per year	220,000 tonnes per year	361.000 t/year
Hydrogen	90 t/day	75 t/day	165 tonnes per day

Ertisa
Product	Current capacity [t/year]	Increase of capacity [t/year]	Total capacity
Cement	500,000	300,000	800,000
Phenol	350,000	200,000	550,000
Acetone	215.000	125,000	340,000

This investment is a new source of hydrogen production, product necessary to achieve a lower sulphur content of fuels, according to the environmental specifications of the European Union and will allow new developments in this line.

The increase in the production of benzene is to reduce the current deficit of Cepsa in its main applications (cyclohexane, phenol and linear alquilbenceno) and will cover the needs of the new plant of Ertisa.

Investment in Ertisa

Ertisa, the planned investment is 145 million euros, for the construction of the new plant of cumene/phenol which will make it possible to meet the increase in the demand for their products, especially of new applications for the manufacture of polycarbonates, for audio/video and auto industries.

Once completed the construction works, the plant will result in the creation of more than 60 new jobs. Currently Ertisa gives direct employment to 290 people.

The new plant of Ertisa will consist of a unit of cumene with a capacity of 300,000 tonnes per year and one of phenol/acetone, with a capacity of 200,000 t/yr and 125,000 tonnes per year respectively.

With this enlargement Ertisa will become the second largest European producer of phenol and will maintain their level of competitiveness by the integration of their processes with the La Rábida of Cepsa refinery.

The reformed light naphtha plant will use the technology Aromax

Raw materials developed by Ertisa are used for the manufacture of products such as special plastics, synthetic fibers, polycarbonates and Methacrylates among others. Their production out of Spain mainly addresses France, Germany, Holland, Great Britain, Portugal, Belgium, North America and far East.

These projects will involve an investment of more than 300 million euros

These new projects contribute to maximizing the synergy between the activities of refining and petrochemical company. Cepsa boasts petrochemical facilities in Canada, Brazil and Spain and sells its products on five continents.