Spanish energy and petrochemical firm Repsol (Madrid; www.repsol.com) continues to pile money into its resin operations with an announcement that it has spent EUR 4.5 mn to add nearly 30% more production of glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene at the domestic compounding plant of its Polidux unit in Monzón.

The news came on the back of reports that Repsol would spend EUR 35 mn to build a domestic cross-linked polyethylene plant (see Plasteurope.com of 20.06.2022) and EUR 105 mn on the construction of a local UHMW-PE production facility (08.06.2022).

The company said the investment in the compounding facility was the most significant since 2006, and materials produced on the new line are specially designed for the automotive sector.

The added output is expected to support the development of glass fibre solutions with recycled materials and promote the growth strategy in circular materials, the demand for which Repsol said is growing in the automobile and household appliance sectors. The company noted that its Monzón factory is a “strategic plant” for its growth in the market for differentiated products with high added value.

Additionally, the company said it recently obtained the UNE-EN 15343 certification for the factory, a standard said to certify the traceability and content of recycled resin in PP compounds with up to 80% reclaimed material marketed under its Reciclex brand.