New investment of Cepsa in refining and petrochemical
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 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.
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.
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 |
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 |
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
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.
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.