Spain's state refiner Empresa Nacionalde Petroleo S.A. (EMP) plans to build its second unit for
production of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline
additive replacing lead, company sources said.
    The Coruna-based plant, with an annual capacity of 27,000
tonnes, and a 55,000-tonnes-per-year facility that EMP will
start up in Tarragona next year, will make the state refiner
Spain's biggest producer of MTBE.
    Petroleos del Norte S.A. (Petronor) runs a 45,000 tonne a
year plant in Bilbao and Cia Espanola de Petroleos S.A. (Cepsa)
plans to put a similar unit onstream next year in Algeciras.
 Reuter
