Cartagena to collect used cooking oil for renewable fuels

Repsol has launched a scheme in the Region of Murcia to collect used cooking oil at 97 service stations, allowing residents to drop off the waste in plastic bottles at designated points for authorised management and traceability.

The oil will be processed at the Escombreras industrial complex in Cartagena — the first plant of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula — to produce 100% renewable fuels. Repsol estimates each litre of used oil yields about 0.9 litres of renewable fuel and the regional roll-out could recover more than 20,000 litres per year.

To encourage participation, users of the Waylet app will receive €0.30 of credit per litre deposited, redeemable for fuel, EV charging or purchases across Repsol’s network. Collected oil is handled by an authorised waste manager to ensure proper treatment and legal compliance.

Local officials highlighted the environmental benefits: pouring oil down household sinks can contaminate up to 1,000 litres of water per litre and increases maintenance costs for sewer and treatment systems. The mayor of Cartagena said the programme turns citizens into direct partners in the energy transition.

The initiative complements Repsol’s broader decarbonisation strategy — combining electrification, renewable fuels and hydrogen — and links to plans for a 100 MW green hydrogen plant developed with Enagás Renovable, part of investments totalling hundreds of millions of euros and expected job creation in the region.