Abel Losada applauds Foresa’s commitment to innovation and competitivade that comes from making a contribution of 3M€ for the creation of a new bioresin plant

The subdelegate of the Government in Pontevedra, Abel Losada, visited today the facilities of the company Foresa, in Caldas de Reis, to know at first hand the project of creation and start-up of a new plant of bioresins in the town. The initiative, which represents an investment of more than 10 million euros, comes from receiving a contribution of 3,060,501 € from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, within the framework of the PERTE of Circular Economy. The deputy delegate was accompanied during his visit by the manager, Fernando Segade, the business director, Begoña Gómez, and the plant director, Beatriz Lagares.
The subdelegate stressed the importance of this project, which “is a revulsive for innovation, competitiveness and the labor market in Caldas and the province.” In this sense, Abel Losada highlighted the multiplier effect of the PERTE, which function not only as an engine of progress, but also as an engine of job creation. “Behind the record numbers of occupation that were recorded in April, also in our province, are the PERTE, which creates employment, and quality,” explained Losada.
The subdelegate stressed that “the unstoppable advance of the competitiveness of the Pontevedra industrial sector is explained by the good work of Pontevedra companies and the government’s commitment to them.” This respect, Abel Losada recalled that when the Executive took the decision to implement these financing mechanisms, “many denied that they would arrive in Galicia and the province and now it is evident that there are hundreds of companies that knew how to benefit from this aid, in Caldas de Reis and throughout the province, contributing to the growth and strengthening of our industrial, economic and productive fabric.”
Abel Losada highlighted “as a perfect example of these synergies” the project presented by Foresa, which will allow the company to have a center for the manufacture and marketing of a new bioresin product intended to replace those conventional resins that use folmadehyde, a dangerous substance second to the European Union, and molybdenum, a metal critical to the industry.
The new bioresin will be made from a concentrate of tannins extracted from the bark of conifers from the waste of wood manufacturers in the area. The project is the culmination of years of business commitment in R+D+I to obtain raw materials of natural origin that can be alternative to those of fossil origin traditionally used in the sector. From the area of Foresa Technologies, where 16 people, researchers and techniques, concentrate this research and innovation work, developed a new process and derived products, which allow us to respond to all these requirements: reduce the environmental impact by maintaining the performance of the final products and do so by applying eco-design criteria.
The project must be completed by the end of 2026. The company is currently finalizing the basic implementation project to be submitted to the Ministry.
60 years of history
Foresa, a company in the chemical sector based in Caldas de Reis and production centers in Caldas, Bordeaux (France) and Aveiro (Portugal), has as main activities the production of formaldehyde and adhesives, the research and development of technical and environmental solutions through the manufacture of high added value products (catalysts, additives, hydrofugant emulsions and other derivatives) and the technological transfer, also counting with various patents of products and applications.
Among its developments are formol base stickers, vinyl acetate, natural products derived from tannins, lignin, soya or sugar and paraffin, mineral or vegetable oil emulsions. These products are present in various sectors such as wood, card and bark, those dedicated to the development of environmental applications (#nitrogen oxide scavenger, fire-fighting for application in forest fires, water treatment), the pharmaceutical, automotive, construction, packaging, insulation, food, biofuels or medicines for veterinary use, among others.
The company, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, has more than 200 employees and has a turnover of more than 300 million euros. Currently 90 people work at the Foresa Caldas plant. Its staff will be increased with the start-up of the new plant.