March 13, 2025 [Biofuels International]- The three reactors for Galp’s new advanced biofuel production unit have arrived at the Sines Refinery, where they will produce aviation fuel and diesel of biological origin starting in 2026.

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

“These projects, two of the largest of their kind, represent a total investment of €650 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,” said Filipe Silva, Galp’s CEO.

The 100 MW green hydrogen unit, an investment of €250 million, will produce up to 15,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually. The advanced biofuels unit, which will incorporate the newly arrived reactors, represents a €400 million investment, in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui. Its nameplate production capacity is 270,000 tons per year. The biofuels project alone will employ during the construction phase an average of 750 workers and 1,150 at its peak. It will create 76 permanent jobs during the operational phase.

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. The chemical reaction takes place inside these reactors through the injection of hydrogen and the application of pressure and heat.

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