Bondalti completes a €76 million decarbonisation project in Estarreja

REPower has mobilised a total investment of 76 million euros, including the largest grant under the C11 component of the Recovery and Resilience Programme for industrial decarbonisation, amounting to 32 million euros.

Comprising five decarbonisation projects, REPower marks a turning point towards a low-carbon operation at Bondalti, making it more self-sufficient and competitive on the European stage.

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Through REPower, Bondalti has undertaken a profound transformation of the infrastructure underpinning its operations, based on more efficient technologies and in line with its commitment to reducing emissions:

• Conversion of the brine electrolysis process: In the core of Bondalti’s production process, the former technology has been replaced by nine new, state-of-the-art electrolysers. With an investment of 41 million euros, this conversion has yielded significant gains in energy efficiency, reliability and operational robustness.
• Implementation of solar farms to generate renewable energy for self-consumption: Two photovoltaic solar farms are currently in operation, with an installed capacity of around 30 MWp, comprising more than 5,000 panels across an area of approximately 30 hectares, installed by Greenvolt and Voltalia. These farms provide 17 per cent of the annual electricity consumption of Bondalti’s chlor-alkali plant. Currently, the use of renewable energy sources at the company’s facilities in the Estarreja industrial complex already accounts for 44 per cent of total energy consumption.
• Installation of energy storage batteries: In a pioneering project in Portugal on an industrial scale, a modular electricity storage system with a power output of 12 MW and a storage capacity of 12 MWh was installed. This system, installed by EDP, enables the storage of surplus electricity generated by the solar farms, increasing self-consumption of renewable energy and enhancing the flexibility of operations and the energy resilience of the industrial site.
• New substation and upgrading of the electrical infrastructure: the project comprised two key initiatives to ensure Bondalti’s power reception capacity, representing a total investment of around 8 million euros. At the same time, EDP carried out the expansion and modernisation of the chlorine-alkali plant’s electrical substation, thereby enhancing the power supply capacity and reliability of the existing electrical infrastructure, as well as enabling the connection of the solar farms and the energy storage system.
• Installation of electric boilers: a central component of RePower’s electrification strategy, the electric boilers installed enable, under normal operating conditions, the natural gas used in steam production to be fully replaced by around 35 GWh/year of renewable electricity. This solution significantly reduces natural gas consumption and the resulting Scope 1 emissions, whilst also reducing exposure to the volatility of energy markets.

The contribution and cooperation of leading partners in Portugal’s energy transition were essential to the project’s implementation. In developing renewable energy generation and energy storage solutions, Bondalti was supported by organisations such as EDP, Greenvolt and Voltalia.

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At the public presentation ceremony marking the completion of REPower, João de Mello, president of Bondalti, emphasised that “the chemical industry, by its very nature, and industrial transformation, given its benefits for environmental sustainability, are fundamental to achieving carbon neutrality. However, European industry, particularly the chemical industry, is facing a particularly adverse context. Only through a genuine industrial transformation will it be possible to keep pace with the requirements for meeting climate targets. REPower demonstrates that such a transformation is possible. But it is urgent to accelerate this process, creating the conditions for the industry to continue to invest, decarbonise and compete. Because we need an environmental policy that reduces emissions, but not the industry”.

Environmental impact and renewed climate ambition‍

Overall, REPower makes a decisive contribution to Bondalti’s low-carbon operations, enabling the company to avoid the emission of more than 36,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, representing a reduction of nearly 28 per cent in Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared with 2019 figures.

More than just a milestone, the completion of REPower acts as a catalyst for Bondalti’s climate strategy. Reflecting its position as a leader in the industrial sector’s energy transition in Portugal, Bondalti is committed to reducing Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 63 per cent by 2035, using 2023 as the baseline year. This short- to medium-term target reflects the company’s rigour and genuine commitment to carbon neutrality.

According to David Lopes, Bondalti’s COO, “the REPower Chemicals project has profoundly transformed Bondalti’s infrastructure, with new state-of-the-art electrolysers, solar farms for self-consumption and the first energy storage system of this scale integrated into an industrial operation in Portugal. The result is a more efficient, more reliable and more self-sufficient operation, and concrete proof of Bondalti’s commitment to sustainability and the transition to a low-carbon chemical industry, enabling an annual reduction of 36,000 tonnes of CO₂”.

For Vera Pinto Pereira, executive director of EDP and CEO of EDP Comercial, “the partnership with Bondalti shows that the energy transition is no longer achieved solely through renewable energy generation, but through smarter and more integrated energy management. Over recent years, EDP has been working with Bondalti to transform energy into an active factor in industrial operations, combining solar power, storage and the adaptation of the electricity infrastructure. This project demonstrates the importance of solutions tailored to each client, based on a deep understanding of their needs.”

For João Manso Neto, CEO of the Greenvolt Group, “projects of this scale demonstrate that the decarbonisation of industry is now a reality that is built on vision, decision-making and execution. Greenvolt’s contribution to this landmark project in Portugal, through renewable energy generation solutions for self-consumption, demonstrates how these solutions can simultaneously accelerate decarbonisation, reduce costs and strengthen energy self-sufficiency, thereby helping to boost companies’ competitiveness.”

For Rui de Carvalho, country manager at Voltalia Portugal, “Voltalia’s participation in REPower demonstrates the fundamental role of renewable energy in the decarbonisation of industry. We are very proud to have contributed to a pioneering project, which highlights how the combination of ambition, innovation and collaboration can accelerate the energy transition, whilst simultaneously strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of Portuguese industry.”