Spanish energy and chemicals company Cepsa has renamed itself Moeve. This is described as part of the Positive Motion strategy, under which the company is seeking to position itself as “a leader in sustainable energy and mobility” with most of its profits coming from sustainable activities by 2030.

The company is already decarbonising its operations through an €8 billion investment strategy. Over 60% of this will be dedicated to sustainable businesses, including the production of green hydrogen, 2G biofuels, sustainable chemical products and ultra-fast electric charging.

According to a lifecycle assessment carried out by an independent consultant and verified by a panel of three that was presented at the CESIO World Surfactant Congress in Rome on 5-7 June, the carbon footprint of Cepsa Química’s NextLab facility is 80% lower than that of a traditional linear alkyl benzene (LAB) facility. Greenhouse gas savings are put at 1,320 kg CO₂/tonne of LAB produced.

Spanish energy giant Cepsa has decided to retain its Chemicals division, Cepsa Química, after completing a strategic review of options. Following an announcement in November 2021 that Cepsa Química would have greater operational autonomy, the division is now “delivering strong operational and financial performance”, the company said.

Cepsa, the world’s largest producer of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) and cumene, has begun operations at its first site to use Detal technology in place of hydrofluoric acid, in the Puente Mayorga chemical plant at San Roque in southern Spain. LAB is the most widely used biodegradable surfactant in laundry detergents.

Cepsa developed the patented Detal technology with UOP. This was named in the Spanish section of the 2020 European Business Awards for the Environment and also won a technological innovation award at the ICIS Surfactants Awards, among others.