The Challenge
EIA21 was part of the team responsible for construction supervision and owner’s engineering services during the expansion of the Cartagena Refinery, a strategic project promoted by Repsol to transform the facility into one of the most advanced refining complexes in Europe.
The investment more than doubled the refinery’s crude processing capacity and substantially increased the production of high-value fuels through the addition of more than twenty new process units and utility systems, including a major Delayed Coker Unit (Coker).
The project represented a significant technical, construction, and safety challenge due to the scale of the works and the need to execute them within an operating refinery environment.
Key challenges included:
- Coordinating a large-scale industrial investment project.
- Managing the simultaneous construction of multiple process units and utility facilities.
- Integrating a new Coker Unit into an operating refinery.
- Coordinating numerous contractors and multidisciplinary project teams.
- Supervising construction activities within a high-risk industrial environment.
- Maintaining strict quality, safety, and schedule control throughout project execution.
- Ensuring effective coordination between engineering, construction, and refinery operations.
The Solution
EIA21 provided Owner’s Engineering and Construction Supervision services, supporting Repsol throughout the execution of the project to ensure compliance with technical, quality, safety, and schedule requirements.
The main activities included:
- Technical supervision of civil, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation works.
- Monitoring the execution of new process units and utility systems.
- Verification of compliance with technical specifications and applicable regulations.
- Coordination of construction and installation activities.
- Quality assurance and safety oversight during project execution.
- Construction planning and progress monitoring.
- Technical support during commissioning and start-up phases.
Results
- Participation in one of the largest refinery expansion projects developed in Spain.
- Successful supervision of construction and installation activities across multiple disciplines.
- Integration of new process units designed to increase refinery capacity and efficiency.
- Compliance with the highest standards of safety, quality, and construction performance.
- Contribution to the transformation of the Cartagena Refinery into one of Europe’s most advanced refining complexes.
