Moeve and Emerita Resources to Supply 100% Renewable Diesel to a Spanish Mine
Moeve and Emerita Resources to Supply 100% Renewable Diesel to a Spanish Mine
Moeve and Emerita Resources have agreed that Moeve will act as preferred supplier of 100% renewable diesel (HVO) to the Iberian Belt West (IBW) mining project in Huelva province, Spain. The fuel, produced at Moeve’s facilities in Palos de la Frontera, will be used in heavy machinery during construction and operation and in the road transport of mineral concentrates. The companies describe the deal as the first agreement in Spain to deploy this second-generation biofuel at industrial scale in the mining sector. Using HVO in place of conventional diesel is estimated to avoid roughly 2,600 tonnes of CO₂ per year in transport-related operations and can cut lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 90% compared with fossil diesel.
Project and Fuel Scope
IBW is being developed by Canadian miner Emerita Resources between the municipalities of Puebla de Guzmán and Paymogo. The project involves a planned investment of more than €350 million and is expected to create over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. HVO will be applied both to on-site heavy equipment and to the logistics chain that moves concentrates from the mine. Because HVO is a drop-in fuel, it can be used in existing diesel engines without equipment replacement—an important practical advantage for mining fleets and contractors.
Emissions and Sustainability Claims
Moeve states that its HVO can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% over the full lifecycle versus conventional diesel. For IBW, the parties estimate that switching transport operations to HVO during construction and operation could avoid about 2,600 tonnes of CO₂ annually—a figure they equate to the yearly absorption of roughly 170,000 trees. For a mining project seeking to align with stricter environmental expectations and permitting conditions, a measurable, drop-in reduction in fleet emissions is a concrete operational lever.
Why the Agreement Matters for Both Parties
For Moeve, the deal opens an industrial offtake channel for renewable diesel produced in Huelva and supports its broader push into second-generation biofuels and sustainable aviation fuel. The company is advancing large-scale biofuels capacity in the region with the aim of leading the Iberian market. For Emerita, securing a preferred renewable-diesel supply aligns the IBW project with lower-carbon operating practices from the construction phase onward and strengthens the project’s environmental narrative in a jurisdiction where mining faces close scrutiny.
First Industrial Mining Deployment in Spain
Spain has seen growing use of HVO in road transport and other sectors, but the companies position the IBW agreement as the first industrial-scale application in domestic mining. Mining is energy-intensive and often remote; demonstrating that renewable diesel can be integrated into heavy mobile equipment and concentrate logistics without major fleet changes could encourage similar offtake arrangements at other projects.
Regional Value Chain
Both the fuel production site (Palos de la Frontera) and the mine (Huelva province) sit in the same region. That proximity shortens the supply chain, supports local industrial activity and links renewable-fuel production with a major materials project. Emerita’s CEO has framed the collaboration as consistent with the company’s environmental approach; Moeve’s commercial leadership has emphasised the role of renewable diesel in decarbonising hard-to-abate mobile uses.
Outlook
The Moeve–Emerita agreement locks in preferred supply of 100% renewable HVO for the Iberian Belt West mine and establishes a reference case for industrial renewable diesel use in Spanish mining. Delivery will depend on project development timelines at IBW and on Moeve’s ability to supply the required volumes from its Huelva biofuels operations. If the arrangement performs as planned, it will reduce the carbon intensity of a significant mining fleet and logistics chain and may accelerate similar contracts across the Iberian mining and heavy-industry sector.
Sources
Borax Decahydrate (Technical Grade) - Argentina
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