Exolum will invest €30 million in the construction of a plant for hydrocarbon treatment and recovery on a site in Algeciras Bay. In addition, to help develop this project, Exolum’s project named Garbium and has reached a collaboration agreement with Naviera Murueta.
The project is part of the circular economy concept and consists of the construction of a facility for the processing and treatment of MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) residue (sea water mixed with oil from the ships’ bilges). The concept aims to minimise environmental impact in the marine environment and recover and recycle hydrocarbons so that they can be reintroduced into the market as commercial products.
The plant will have the capacity to treat 550,000 tonnes of product per year and is expected to be operational by the start of 2025. The project, which has already obtained the International Environmental Authorisation, is currently in the detail engineering stage, which will lead to the creation of more than 50 jobs during the operation stage and later, more than 150 jobs at the peak of the construction stage. In addition, the project will also generate economic activity in the area.
The plant will be fitted with advanced safety and environmental protection systems and will aim to connect all tanks and processing units to a gas filtration area, ensuring compliance with strict environmental requirements and removing any odours that may be generated by plant operations.
Exolum intends to provide a service that is highly demanded by the ships in operating the area by enabling them to comply with the provisions of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.