Repsol and the Spanish Air Force sign a sustainability agreement

The agreement improves sustainable mobility in the aviation sector, promotes the development and consumption of low-carbon fuels, and implements joint R&D&I actions. This collaboration is part of the Defense Policy Directive, which aims to "support the defense industry, boost the economy and the national productive base.

Josu Jon Imaz, CEO of Repsol, and Air General Javier Salto Martnez-Avial, Chief of Staff of the Spanish Air Force, have signed a collaboration agreement as part of the Connected, Sustainable, and Intelligent Air Base (BACSI) project.

The agreement between the multi-energy company and the Air Force aims to promote long-term mobility in the aviation industry. The analysis and formulation of proposals aimed at promoting the development and consumption of new low-carbon fuels, as well as the implementation of joint R&D&I actions.

Similarly, both organizations commit to sharing strategies that promote the development of sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives that benefit both institutions, both individually and collectively.

The Spanish Air Force has launched the BACSI project, which aims to improve the effectiveness, productivity, efficiency, and long-term viability of air bases. As a result, the collaboration with Repsol, a leading multi-energy supply company in Spain, will enable the development of systems that are perfectly aligned with several of the Air Force BACSI project's objectives, particularly in the functional areas of sustainability 4.0, global connectivity, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

This collaboration is part of the Defense Policy Directive, which goes into effect on August 4, 2020, and includes among its goals "supporting the defense industry, contributing to the economy and the national productive base, ensuring its resilience, and developing a national and European industrial, technological, and innovation base in defense."

To successfully carry out its mission, the Air Force requires cutting-edge capabilities, which are achieved through innovation and efficiency, areas in which Repsol excels and which are critical to moving forward with the ambitious project of the Sustainable and Intelligent Connected Air Base (BACSI). The BACSI project aims to be a driving force for the EA to become the Aerospace Force that Spain requires, by utilizing disruptive technologies to improve efficiency in resource utilization and operational effectiveness. The Air Force and the national industry, in the words of its Chief of Staff, Air General Javier Salto Martinez-Avial, need each other.

Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz, for his part, stated that

"this collaboration agreement with an institution such as the Spanish Air Force is another step in the development of our Strategic Plan, which will allow us to advance towards our goal of becoming a zero net emissions company by 2050. It also strengthens our position as a company capable of providing a global response to the needs of the Spanish Air Force, which requires a multi-energy solution to meet its energy requirements."

In this regard, Repsol has been immersed for years in the process of transformation and diversification of its businesses with the goal of leading the energy transition, being the first company in its sector to support the Kyoto Protocol, issue a green bond, and set the goal of being a company with zero net emissions by 2050 in December 2019.

Repsol has made progress in the production of low-carbon fuels for the aviation sector, where alternatives such as electrification are not currently viable, producing the first three batches of biojet in the Spanish market in 2020 and 2021 at its industrial centers in Puertollano, Tarragona, and Petronor.

Furthermore, Repsol is the market leader in multi-energy supply in Spain, offering solutions that improve efficiency and increase the weight of low-emission energies. As a result, Repsol has already launched a number of initiatives, including the construction of Spain's first advanced biofuels plant in Cartagena, as well as one of the world's largest synthetic fuels plants near the Petronor refinery, using renewable hydrogen and CO2 as the only raw materials. These facilities are scheduled to open in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

For all of these reasons, Repsol and the Spanish Air Force signed a general Action Protocol outlining all future activities and projects aimed at achieving more sustainable mobility and efficient energy management.

Source: Repsol news