Here’s how the brain of your renewable fuel works

Turning forestry residues and vegetable oils into marketable fuels requires years of laboratory research, hundreds of specialists and heavy investment in R&D. Here’s what’s done technological laboratory Repsol in Mostoles (Madrid). It has 250 people responsible for analyzing raw materials (organic waste) to determine their potential to become updated fuel

Turning forestry residues and vegetable oils into marketable fuels requires years of laboratory research, hundreds of specialists and heavy investment in R&D. Here’s what’s done technological laboratory Repsol in Mostoles (Madrid). It has 250 people responsible for analyzing raw materials (organic waste) to determine their potential to become renewable fuel. Tests are then carried out on small pilot plants and on real engines before the go-ahead is given. All this requires investments in R&D of about 70 million annually.

The philosophy of this center is clear: to cover all possible renewable energy options for accelerate the decarbonization of transport and ensure the company achieves its net-zero emissions target in 2050. “Renewable fuels are a solution for the decarbonization of transport that can be applied right now and is compatible with existing vehicle fleets,” explains Claudia Esarte, senior researcher specialized in renewable fuels at the Repsol Technology Laboratory.

1. Analysis phase

The first step in determining whether waste can become biofuel consists of analysis of raw materials. This is done in the Fluids and Formulations Laboratory. A process that takes years from research to release to market. For now vegetable oil This is one of the options with the best conversion. One liter can produce about 0.9 liters of renewable diesel fuel. “The starting point is a good knowledge of the raw material, its composition and characteristics, in order to be able to select the best process to convert this waste into renewable fuel,” explains Aurora Manyas, Head of the Formulations and Fluids Laboratory.

Repsol has over 60 stations which already supply renewable diesel to the Iberian Peninsula, and by the end of the year their number will exceed 600. The product is very similar to regular diesel, in fact the price is about the same as the premium version and almost the same properties.

The latest milestone in this direction is a new pilot project at three filling stations in Madrid with 100% renewable gasoline.

2. Pilot installations

Repsol’s technological laboratory has 35 installations that reproduce any petrochemical process almost identical to the company’s complexes. They are used to find ways to make processes more efficient and thus contribute to achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. “Pyrolysis plants, gasification plants, etc. must be adapted to convert them into multi-energy poles”, comments Mercedes Ayala, responsible for laboratories and pilot plants at the Repsol Technology Laboratory.

3. Engine laboratory

Before the new renewable fuel To reach the market, he will have to go through engine laboratory belonging technology center Mostoles, where the performance, operation and emissions it produces are tested against fossils. “We are looking for similar behavior and that the vehicle does not require special conditions to operate,” explains Claudia Esarte.

This laboratory tests engines for passenger cars, agricultural machinery and boats, including competition engines. The robot reproduces driving cycles to simulate fuel performance and vehicle performance.

This will have its application in biofuel production plant produced from waste located on the territory of the industrial complex in the city. Cartagena, which will start operating in a few months and will produce 250,000 tons per year. Or a biofuel production plant that will operate in Puertollano starting from 2025. And also in the future, in Bilbao, a plant for the production of synthetic fuel, which is obtained from a combination of captured CO and renewable hydrogenstill in development.