Moeve and Exolum invest EUR millions in Port of Huelva infrastructure

This new infrastructure will serve to improve operational capabilities and provide service to the new second generation (2G) biofuels plant being built by Moeve and its partners at the La Rábida Energy Park in Palos de la Frontera.

The projects, called ‘Muelle Sur’ and ‘Poliducto’ respectively, amount to an investment of EUR 299 million and represent significant progress in the companies’ commitment to efficiency, and a real step forward in the transformation process to lead the way in sustainable energy based on green molecules.

New terminal and mooring dock

As part of the Muelle Sur project, Moeve and Exolum have started building a new terminal for energy products at the Outer Port of Huelva.

This project includes the creation of a new 511 metre-long mooring dock, which will allow for the modernisation of logistics infrastructure at the La Rábida Energy Park, optimising ship loading and unloading operations.

The new dock will facilitate combined loading and unloading operations for raw materials and products by connecting Moeve’s and Exolum’s facilities through new transport lines.

These lines will extend from the dock to the La Rábida Energy Park and Exolum’s Storage Terminal in Huelva.

Muelle Sur will be a key facility for Moeve’s decarbonisation strategy, acting as one of the points of entry for raw materials and of exit for products from the second-generation biofuel production complex that the company is currently building in Palos de la Frontera.

Pipeline replacement

The ‘Poliducto’ project replaces the entire pipeline system that connects the industrial facilities of the Energy Park and Exolum with the Torre Arenillas Quay with new, higher capacity lines, in addition to improving the quay facilities and significantly improving the safety of operations.

This new pipeline system, approximately 5 km long, will allow greater operational flexibility and versatility in the existing facilities, reinforcing Moeve’s commitment to efficiency and innovation.

The modernisation of our existing facilities is a fundamental step in developing our strategic projects that are already underway. The talent of the staff at La Rábida Energy Park is proving to be key to tackling this transformation process successfully, said Antonio Joyanes, Moeve’s Director of Energy Parks.

José Manuel Martínez, Moeve’s Director of Technology, Projects and Services, underlined the importance of these projects for the company’s strategy: ‘

The new infrastructure at the Port of Huelva is a crucial step in our mission to improve operational efficiency and advance our decarbonisation strategy. These investments will not only improve our loading and unloading capabilities but will also strengthen the development and production of second-generation biofuels, José Manuel Martínez said.

A year ago, the foundation stone was laid for the 2G biofuels plant in Huelva, which will be served by an important part of the projects revealed today.

This new plant, which amounts to an investment of EUR 1.2 billion, will increase Moeve’s and Biooils’ second generation biofuels production capacity to 1.6 million tonnes per year.

The plant is expected to start operations in 2026, firmly establishing Moeve and its partners as leaders in the transition to sustainable energy.

Enable easier and safer operations

These new facilities will further enhance the safety of operations by replacing existing facilities and improving the quayside installation, allowing for easier and safer ship loading and unloading operations.

Through these investments, Moeve, Exolum and the Port Authority of Huelva bolster their commitment to economic development and improving infrastructure in Huelva.

Moeve continues to back sustainability and innovation within its business strategy, a key pillar of which is its partnerships with other companies and authorities.

The President of the Port of Huelva, Alberto Santana, has assured that the Port “as an energy and industrial cluster has committed itself, as stated in its Strategic Plan, to lead the energy transition and the decarbonization of its port environment.”

To achieve this goal, we support projects aimed at the production of sustainable energies carried out by companies in the port community, such as the joint initiative launched today by Moeve and Exolum, backed by a significant investment, which will help modernise their infrastructures, improve port operations and generate employment, Alberto Santana said.

For his part, the Deputy Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Cristóbal Sánchez, stressed that ‘the projects presented today are in line with the industrial policy of the Andalusian Government, which is very focused on supporting actions that help Andalusian industry to advance in the process of decarbonisation and energy transition’.

Along these lines, Sánchez stressed the availability to the industrial fabric of streamlining instruments such as the Project Acceleration Unit (UAP), which is speeding up the processing of Moeve and Exolum’s industrial facilities for biofuel loading in the Port of Huelva, as well as other strategic projects for the province, such as the new biofuel plant being built by Moeve in Palos.

For Exolum, a leader in liquid fuel logistics in Spain, this is an important step in the strategy of adapting infrastructure to support the energy transition in Spain.

We are very pleased to collaborate with Moeve, offering them the infrastructure needed to decongest the Port of Huelva and accommodate new green transport. Our facility, together with the investments in Muelle Sur and Poliducto, puts us in a prime position to offer efficient solutions to bulk logistics flows in Huelva. This location has a bright future ahead of it as a green hub, and we are committed to leading this transformation process towards sustainability, said Jorge Guillén, Director of Exolum’s Spain and Aviation Business Unit.