Energy contractor Cobra IS’ subsidiaries Grupo Cobra and Masa have secured a contract from the Moeve and Apical joint venture to undertake works on Spain's upcoming second-generation (2G) biofuel facility, located in Palos de la Frontera of Huelva province.

Cobra IS is itself a business unit of French construction company VINCI.

The construction of the 2G biofuel facility began in February 2024.

Grupo Cobra and Masa will be responsible for the electrical, piping, and industrial mechanical works of the facility. The project will strengthen Spain's position in the clean energy sector.

Expected to begin production in 2026, the facility will be developed at an estimated total cost of €1.2bn ($1.3bn). It will be situated beside Moeve's La Rábida Energy Park.

The biofuel plant is designed to produce 500,000 tonnes (t) of sustainable fuels annually, including sustainable aviation fuel and HVO100, a renewable diesel. It will utilise used cooking oils and agricultural waste as raw materials, supplied by Apical.

The facility is expected to double the existing annual production capacity of Moeve and Apical’s subsidiary Bio-Oils to one million tonnes.

Environmental considerations are at the forefront of the plant's design, which incorporates advanced technologies to minimise its ecological footprint, stated VINCI.

Notably, the facility will use recycled water exclusively and aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 75% compared to traditional fuel plants. This initiative is projected to prevent nearly three million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.

The VINCI Group reported a total revenue of €3.8bn in Spain last year, with Cobra IS contributing €3.2bn, and VINCI Energies and VINCI Construction contributing €0.3bn each.

Last month, VINCI Energies agreed to acquire Zimmer & Hälbig, a Bielefeld-based company, pending approval from the German competition authorities.