Repsol and the Chinese oil company Sinopec have launched a project through their Brazilian alliance to work on the capture of CO2 for later use in the production of green hydrocarbons , that is, chemical compounds produced by processes that do not emit greenhouse gases.
These hydrocarbons can be green fuels, such as diesel and green gasoline, or even special paraffins used in the manufacture of various products used in everyday life.
The researchers will work from the development to the pilot-scale implementation of two integrated systems with national technologies capable of consuming CO2 from different sources, such as offshore exploration and production activities for the production of green hydrocarbons, in a closed production cycle. and CO2 consumption powered by renewable energy sources.
As these systems will be the first integrated processes for the generation of green hydrocarbons from CO2 on a pilot scale in Brazil, the CO2CHEM project is considered a pioneer and inaugurates its Research and Development line in Carbon Management for Repsol Sinopec Brazil, reinforcing its commitment with sustainability, on the path of energy transition.
This project is in addition to the one that the oil company has underway in Petronor . The company will use applied cutting-edge technology and CO2 captured at the nearby refinery for the new eco-fuel plant. Its development represents a first-rate technological challenge that will be led by the Repsol Technology Lab research center, which is located in Móstoles. It will combine green hydrogen – 100% clean energy as it is generated from renewable sources – with CO2 as a raw material in the process, and will place Repsol at the forefront of the development of net zero emission fuels.
The oil company also has the first CO2 storage project in the Sakakemang field in Indonesia, which is expected to come online in 2023 with a reserve volume of 2 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Asturias, new ‘Green Engine’
On the other hand, the president of the Principality of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, and the president of Repsol and its Foundation, Antonio Brufau, have signed a collaboration agreement to promote the Green Motor project in this autonomous community. Thanks to this initiative, 3,500 hectares of vacant land or land affected by fires will be reforested in Asturias. The new forests will absorb 1.1 million tons of CO2.
To carry out the work, about 700 people from the environment will be hired, with special attention to vulnerable groups, creating local and inclusive employment. Motor Verde is a public-private collaboration project, promoted by Fundación Repsol and Grupo Sylvestris, whose objective is to promote the development of a green and sustainable economy, especially in rural areas, through large-scale reforestation in Spain.
