The Spanish Government’s Circular Economy PERTE, an instrument designed to channel European funding under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, has enabled Industrias Químicas del Ebro (IQE) to implement two projects aimed at promoting the use of by-products and reducing raw material consumption in the manufacture of chemical products.
On 26 June, the Spanish Government Commissioner for the Circular Economy, Alejandro Dorado, and the Government Delegate in Aragón, Fernando Beltrán, visited the company’s facilities to gain first-hand insight into the impact of these investments. They were accompanied by IQE’s Managing Director, Eduardo Villarroya.
Through two funding calls, IQE has received €2 million from the Circular Economy PERTE, enabling the company to mobilise a total investment of €8.4 million across both projects. The first project has focused on promoting circular economy practices in the aluminium sector, replacing virgin raw materials with industrial by-products and improving the energy efficiency of the processes. The second has aimed to increase the recovery of anhydrous sodium sulphate and reduce water and sodium chloride consumption, as well as the environmental footprint associated with the production of precipitated silica.
IQE remains committed to a more sustainable and efficient chemical industry aligned with the principles of the circular economy, promoting innovation and the efficient use of resources throughout the value chain.