Energy giant brews fuel from waste

Repsol’s refinery in Cartagena, Spain, which includes a biofuel unit.- — ©2024 The New York Times Company

IN a narrow valley with steep sides near the ancient city of Cartagena, Spain, a team of 150 engineers has just finished building a plant that could be a game changer for Repsol, the Spanish energy company, and a bellwether for the transportation industry.

Emilio Mayoral, who manages the unit, said his colleagues are in the early days of brewing fuels for trucks and airplanes from what was formerly garbage.