The arrival of these reactors marks an important milestone in the transformation project of the refinery, and a European first, Galp said. It will be the first advanced biofuel production unit integrated into a refining system that includes an industrial-scale green hydrogen production facility, also under construction at the Sines site, it said.

 

“These projects, two of the largest of their kind, represent a total investment of EUR 650 million ($670 million). This is a significant contribution to the transformation and growth of the industrial sector in Portugal, placing Galp at the forefront of developing low-carbon solutions essential for the energy transition”, Filipe Silva, Galp’s CEO, said.

 

The green hydrogen unit, according to Galp, represents EUR 250 million ($257.8 million) and will produce up to 15,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually. The advanced biofuels unit, which will incorporate the newly arrived reactors, represents a EUR 400 million ($412.5 million) investment, in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui & Co. Galp said its nameplate production capacity is 270,000 tons per year. The two companies formed a 75 percent-25 percent joint venture to produce and market advanced biofuels. The two companies made a final investment decision on the project in September 2023.

 

The facility will process treated vegetable oils and animal fats, converting them into biodiesel with identical characteristics to traditional mineral diesel used in combustion engines and aviation fuel, Galp said. The chemical reaction takes place inside these reactors through the injection of hydrogen and the application of pressure and heat.

 

Galp awarded Technip Energies NV the engineering, procurement services, and construction management contracts for both projects.