BACKGROUND

Water, a key asset in all industrial operations

Water plays a crucial role in the energy transition and is vital to Moeve, one of Spain’s leading energy companies, and its operations at the San Roque Energy Park. This hub for refining, chemical, and biofuel production in southern Spain exemplifies the critical nexus between water, energy, and productivity – every industrial process relies on water (for the final product, but also for cooling, heating, cleaning, transport and more), and optimizing its use directly reduces energy consumption, cuts emissions and lowers operational costs.

Comprehensive water management based on circularity throughout the entire cycle (collection, treatment, reuse, and discharge) is becoming a strategic priority in Spain due to growing pressure on water resources. In regions such as San Roque, where water availability is limited and climatic conditions are becoming more challenging, this approach enables us to turn challenges into opportunities, reducing our environmental impact and creating value. As Mar Perrote, Global Head of Safety, Environment and Management Systems at Moeve, notes, “in an area where water scarcity is part of daily reality, you quickly understand that every drop counts – literally.”

Moeve recognized this imperative in its “Positive Motion” Strategy, which ties sustainability directly to business resilience, and selected Ecolab as the water solutions partner to help the company navigate this challenging context and turn its ambitions into practical, measurable outcomes. “Our goal is to show that the industry’s decarbonization journey can – and must – advance in a way that respects and protects vital water resources,” adds Mar Perrote.

SOLUTION

Implementing a circular and data-driven water system

Moeve partnered with Ecolab to complement its capabilities, leveraging the company’s deep expertise in water technology and digital monitoring solutions. The partnership focuses on the design and implementation of a circular, data-driven water recycling system at the San Roque Energy Park. This system optimizes usage in real time, reducing freshwater intake and increasing reuse, to ensure Moeve’s activities align with local community and ecosystem needs, going beyond efficiency to embody responsibility, resilience and compliance.

The core of the solution provided by Ecolab is a membrane-based water treatment plant – combining ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis – supported by a specialized chemical program. This system converts internal effluent wastewater streams into a reliable source of high-quality service water. What was considered a waste product, now becomes suitable for critical industrial processes. In fact, the system is designed to recycle up to 1.2 million m³ of water annually, boosting productivity, reducing exposure to drought-related risks, and minimizing its environmental footprint. Ecolab coupled the equipment with 3D TRASAR™ technology, a digital monitoring platform that tracks water flow, quality and performance across the entire network in real time, providing key insights to allow continuous optimization.