The project represents a major milestone in the industrial deployment of Catalyxx’s technology and has been recognized as a Project of National Interest (PIN) by the Portuguese Government.
Sines: A Prime Industrial and Logistics Hub
Catalyxx announced that Sines, Portugal, has been selected as the location for Catalyxx Ibérica, the company’s first commercial-scale plant.
Located in one of Europe’s most important industrial and logistics hubs, the €120M Sines facility was selected for its world-class industrial infrastructure, a deep-water port, excellent logistics connectivity, and access to renewable energy. These advantages will strengthen Catalyxx’s position as a leading bio-based chemicals company while supporting the security of supply, decarbonization, and competitiveness of the European chemical sector. The project will also reinforce Portugal’s growing role as a leader in sustainable industrial innovation and advanced manufacturing.
The facility will produce butanol, hexanol and octanol from bioethanol, offering the market a low-carbon alternative to conventional petrochemical production routes, while maintaining full compatibility with existing industrial applications and value chains.
Strategic Recognition and Sustainability Benefits
The project has been granted Project of National Interest (PIN) status by the Portuguese Government, recognizing its strategic contribution to domestic industrial development, innovation, sustainability and economic growth, and affording the project an accelerated regulatory approval process. In addition, the project has already secured its key environmental approvals, representing another major milestone and further reinforcing its readiness to move into the construction phase.
The project is expected to catalyze significant additional private and institutional investment into Portugal, creating a multiplier effect across the country’s industrial ecosystem and supporting the development of new sustainable value chains. The Sines facility alone is expected to avoid approximately 105,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
“Our Catalyxx Ibérica facility represents the next step in Catalyxx’s mission to replace fossil-based chemicals with renewable alternatives that are chemically identical, fully compatible with existing industrial applications and significantly lower in carbon intensity,” said Joaquín Alarcón, Chief Executive Officer of Catalyxx. “We are thrilled to be building our first commercial-scale plant in Portugal, and we are particularly grateful to AICEP – Portuguese Trade & Investment Agency, aicep Global Parques, which manages ZILS – Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone, CCDR Alentejo, Câmara Municipal de Sines, APS – Administração dos Portos de Sines e do Algarve, and all the Portuguese authorities for their support and recognition of the project’s strategic importance. This project will not only accelerate the defossilization of the chemical industry, but also position Portugal as a European leader in sustainable industrial innovation.”
