Catalyxx picks Sines for its first renewable-chemicals plant — €120 million, work starting this year
Spain's Catalyxx will invest €120 million in a renewable-chemicals plant in Sines, Portugal, with construction due to start in the last quarter of 2026 and the project ranked as a national interest project.
Sines is once again the address of choice for anyone looking to build heavy industry in Portugal — and this time the bet is a green one. Spain’s Catalyxx says it will put up its first commercial renewable-chemicals plant there, with a cheque to match.
How big is the Catalyxx investment?
It’s €120 million, through Catalyxx Ibérica, in a project that blends private capital with public support — including a €20 million contribution from the European Circular Bio-based Europe partnership. Construction is expected to get going in the final quarter of 2026.
What will the plant make?
The unit will produce butanol, hexanol and octanol from bioethanol — industrial alcohols that today come almost entirely from petrochemicals. The difference is the footprint: once running, the plant should avoid roughly 105,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, offering a low-carbon alternative to fossil-based raw materials.
Why Sines?
The choice is no accident. Sines has a deep-water port, logistics connections and access to renewable energy — exactly the package a plant like this needs. The government has already classified the project as a Project of National Interest (PIN), the stamp that speeds up permitting, and it joins a run of industrial investments heading to the Alentejo, like the planned antimony refinery. The PIN criteria are explained on the government portal.
By Beatriz Mota
Image: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
