Repsol-YPF studies biodiesel production in Argentina

04 July 2005 18:55  [Source: ICIS news]

MADRID (CNI)--Repsol-YPF is considering a project to produce biodiesel in Argentina and has ambitions to become the country's leading supplier, a company spokesman confirmed on Monday.

The Spanish-Argentine energy and petrochemicals group has established a biofuels research facility near its La Plata refinery in eastern Argentina, the spokesman added. The laboratory is part of Repsol's petrol (gasoline) research site Centro de Tecnología Aplicada (CTA).

Global biofuels demand is rising strongly and Argentina's strength as an olefins producer makes it an ideal region to make the fuel, Repsol said.

“This is all in the lab phase at the moment,” the spokesman noted. “But we are obviously interested in producing biodiesel.” He would not give a production timeline or comment further.

If it pursues the project, Repsol is likely to begin making biodiesel at La Plata, a company official said. However, its Lujan de Cullo and Plaza Huincul refineries are also capable of making the product, the official added. 

Repsol will decide whether to pursue the initiative “in a couple of months,” the official added.

By: Ivan Castano Freeman
+44 20 8652 3214

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