The Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Junta de Andalucía, Jorge Paradela, announced this Friday in Huelva that the works of the Onuba project —the Huelva part of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley— are expected to begin during the first semester of 2026, while production is scheduled to start in early 2029. The minister made these statements to the media during a technical visit to the works of the new second-generation biofuels plant of Moeve in La Rábida (Palos de la Frontera).
Paradela explained that the day before he had met in Seville with the commercial vice president of Moeve, Carlos Barrasa, at an event with entrepreneurs and social agents, and that it was at that meeting where the company conveyed the updated project schedule to him. According to those timelines, the works of the Onuba project will start "probably during the first semester of 2026," with an estimated production start "in early 2029."
The minister described these works as "very complex," in terms similar to those of the biofuels plant he visited, and emphasized the connection between both projects. Moeve's installation will produce second-generation biofuels and sustainable aviation fuels, but when the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley reaches industrial-scale hydrogen production, it will allow that same plant to also produce synthetic fuels, known as E-Fuels. Paradela recalled that these fuels are becoming increasingly relevant on the European agenda, with specific targets for the aviation sector that mandate their progressive use. "That is to say, all of this is taking shape and the two projects that we sometimes tend to treat separately, come together in the production of certain product lines," the minister pointed out.
The biofuels plant of Moeve, the largest in southern Europe.
The technical visit focused on the works of the 2G biofuels plant of Moeve in Palos de la Frontera, described as the largest production complex of this type of renewable fuel in southern Europe. The installation, with an expected investment of 1.2 billion euros, is planned to start its activity at the end of this year. Currently, 500 workers are involved in the construction, with a forecast that in the peak construction periods, it will reach 2,000.
The visit was attended by, in addition to Minister Paradela, the territorial delegate of the Junta in Huelva, José Manuel Correa; the sector delegate, Lucía Núñez Sánchez; the mayor of Palos de la Frontera, Milagros Romero; the president of the Port of Huelva, Alberto Santana, and those responsible for Moeve. During the tour, the company's technicians informed about the status of the works. Paradela assessed that the works are progressing "at full speed" and framed them in "a commitment of Moeve that is developing a complete transformation of the company in its energy parks in Andalucía."