Zaragoza.- The Circular Economy PERTE of the Government of Spain, instrument to channel the European funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, has allowed the Ebro Chemical Industries (IQE) to implement two projects for the use of by-products and reduction of raw materials in the manufacture of chemicals. The Commissioner for the Circular Economy of the Government of Spain, Alejandro Dorado, and the Government delegate in Aragón, Fernando Beltrán, visited the company’s facilities to learn about the impact of these investments from the IQE CEO, Eduardo Villarroya.

In total, through two calls, IQE received 1,992,713 euros from the Circular Economy PERTE, which allowed the company to mobilize a total investment of 8.4 million euros for two projects. The first of these, with a grant of 934,000 euros, has been to boost the circular economy in the aluminum sector, replacing virgin raw materials with industrial by-products and improving the energy efficiency of the processes. The second, with an aid of 1,058,713 euros, has been aimed at increasing the valorisation of anhydrous sodium sulphate and reducing the use of water, sodium chloride and the environmental footprint associated with the production of precipitated silica.

The Commissioner for the Circular Economy, Alejandro Dorado, stressed that “Aragón has received a total of 36 million public funding from the PERTE in Circular Economy in the 24 projects that have been beneficiaries, which has allowed to mobilize more than 90 million euros of public-private investment.”

For his part, Fernando Beltrán, delegate of the Government, has pointed out “the capacity for transformation and progress towards innovation that has meant the Recovery Plan of the Government of Spain for the Aragonese industry”. “Today Aragonese companies like IQE are better prepared for the changing global scenario because, thanks to the circular economy, with the optimization of raw materials and the reuse of waste, they are more independent and profitable.”