Spain’s petrochemical industry is at a decisive turning point. Squeezed by energy costs, international competition and geopolitical uncertainty, yet driven at the same time by the European agenda for strategic autonomy and decarbonization, the sector faces its most significant transformation in decades. And its epicentre is Tarragona.

The Tarragona chemical cluster, the largest in Southern Europe, accounts for roughly 25 % of Spain’s chemical output and 50 % of Catalonia’s. Its direct and induced activity alone sustains close to 50,000 jobs, represents 50 % of the province’s exports and nearly 69 % of the traffic through the Port of Tarragona. In practice, it is a barometer for the health of the entire process industry in the country.

In March 2026, the Government of Catalonia and the Association of Chemical Companies of Tarragona (AEQT) unveiled a new plan to strengthen the cluster’s competitiveness, mobilizing around €500 million in annual investment, of which 30 % is earmarked for safety and environmental protection. The plan sets out measures to reduce energy costs, offset the cost of CO₂, promote renewable and circular products (including hydrogen) and reinforce both energy and logistics infrastructure and the training of technical talent.

This commitment rests on a new generation of decarbonization projects led by Repsol and selected by the European Commission’s Innovation Fund: Ecoplanta (methanol and fuels from waste), T-HYNET (Spain’s largest low-carbon hydrogen electrolyzer) and TarraCO₂ (carbon capture and storage). Together, they position Tarragona as a key piece of the European Union’s chemical strategic autonomy.

The trend is not isolated. Globally, investment in offshore energy projects, both gas and offshore wind, is set to exceed USD 300 billion again in 2026, growing close to 5 % year on year, according to Rystad Energy. The combination of security of supply, energy transition and technically more demanding projects points to a cycle of strong demand for specialized engineering.

It is precisely at this crossroads, between the traditional process industry and its shift towards lower-carbon products, that detailed engineering, FEED studies, structural analysis and advanced infrastructure monitoring become critical success factors. With 35 years turning ideas into infrastructure and a presence across Europe and the Middle East, DAPIN continues to follow this transformation of the energy and industrial sector closely.

Sources: Government of Catalonia and AEQT; Industria Química; Rystad Energy.