Exolum has invested over 32 million euros in environmental projects in Spain over the last three years
The company initiatives focus on reducing emissions, reinforcing biodiversity protection and the efficient use of resources, as well as collaborating on the development of eco‐fuels
Exolum is committed to self-consumption with several projects which will allow it to produce approximately 10% of the company’s total energy consumption in Spain with solar energy
Exolum has invested over 32 million euros in environmental projects in Spain over the last three years, particularly focusing on reducing CO2 emissions and ensuring equipment and facility integrity, as well as the efficiency of its operations to improve environmental protection.
Exolum’s sustainability strategy comprises four lines of action aimed at reducing net GHG emissions, reinforcing biodiversity protection and the efficient use of resources, as well as collaborating on the development of eco‐fuels.
As part of this strategy, Exolum has developed several decarbonisation projects aimed at achieving its target of a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025, compared to 2018. In this same area, it completed the replacement of the lighting at all facilities with LED lights, thus avoiding the emission of over 680 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Moreover, Exolum is focusing on self-consumption at its centres and facilities. The company has built a self-consumption photovoltaic plant at its facility in Mora (Toledo) and has installed photovoltaic panels on the roof of the storage terminal in Barcelona. Likewise, the construction of a new photovoltaic plant for self-consumption is planned at its facility in Huelva, in addition to two new solar plants at its facilities in Poblete and Arahal. These projects will make it possible to produce approximately 10% of the company’s total energy consumption in Spain with solar energy.
Furthermore, the company uses drag reducing agents (DRAs) when transporting products by pipeline and develops algorithms for additive dosing in order to maximise the efficiency of pumping stations in the pipeline, thereby saving energy.
The company calculates its carbon footprint every year in order to design and implement actions that reduce emissions and enable an increase in the sustainability of its operations, as well as measuring the efficiency of the projects launched and assessing their progress.
Along these lines, Exolum has also calculated its water footprint in Spain. The ensuing report will be used to understand and improve water usage in all countries where the company is present. In this regard, new technical specifications have been developed for efficient water usage in storage tank cleaning prior to inspection. A pilot test has also been carried out at the facility in Motril to use wastewater, once treated in bioreactors, in firefighting systems.
As part of its biodiversity protection policy, the company has a Plan for Identification of High Consequence Areas (HCA) that, by means of specific geographical analysis software, defines environmentally sensitive spots in the area surrounding the company’s pipelines. The identification plan has been updated based on the sensitivity of the surrounding areas and the emerging risk of adverse weather effects linked to climate change.
The company is also carrying out biodiversity studies in the vicinity of its facilities. In 2021, such studies were conducted at the facilities in Burgos, Poblete (Ciudad Real) and the two facilities owned by the company in El Arahal (Seville). A biodiversity improvement project in cooperation with the Tagus River Basin Confederation is also underway to promote the re-stocking of species suitable for riverbanks.
The company also participates in the Phy2Climate project, which is funded by the European Commission and tests the application of phytoremediation methods in oil-contaminated land.
These are just some of the projects that have allowed Exolum to maintain its ISO 14001 Environmental Certification at all its facilities in Spain.