Spanish energy group Repsol (Madrid; www.repsol.com) says it is investing over EUR 18 mn to raise the output of polymer polyols at its plant in Tarragona, Spain. The company seeks to both expand capacity with a second reactor for the materials and increase the product portfolio with higher quality materials for use in furniture, bedding, and cars.

Completion of the work is scheduled for the end of 2023, and the plant will use a new technology developed by scientists at the Repsol Technology Lab, the company said. “As a result, the process is optimised, and the performance as well as the hardness and tensile properties of the foams are improved, meeting the requirements of premium applications.”

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Repsol currently operates a line for Alcupol brand polyols in Tarragona with a total capacity of 140,000 t/y. Most of the output is polyols for flexible foam applications, while polymer polyols are produced to a lesser extent.