Spanish energy and chemicals company Cepsa has announced plans to spend €100 million to upgrade and expand capacity of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) at its Puente Mayorga plant in San Roque, Cadiz.

The company will install the latest version of its Detal Plus technology, which it co-licenses with UOP. Cepsa said the plant will be the first in the world that will change the process from hydrofluoric hydric acid to Detal transalkylation technology.

Work will start in May and take approximately two years to complete. Capacity will rise by 50,000 t/y to a total of 250,000 t/y.

“The Puente Mayorga Chemical Plant is where our experience in the surfactant market began, which we have applied to our other installations around the world,” noted José Manuel Martínez, Cepsa’s chemical director. He added that the project “will allow us to revamp the plant and enhance its competitiveness in the market.”The increase in production from this plant will be primarily aimed at high growth African markets. Our estimations show LAB demand in these countries growing by 5% annually between now and 2035.”

Cepsa produces LAB in Spain, Canada and Brazil, with total combined production representing 15% of global supply. It said the project would help to strengthen its international leadership position in producing LAB, which will reach a global capacity of 650,000 t/y. According to Cepsa, four out of every five new LAB plants are currently built using Detal technology.