• Why is a lithium refinery being built in Portugal?
  • Portugal has the largest proven reserves of lithium in Europe, which is why Aurora is there. The refinery will use Portuguese lithium as well as foreign imports from places like Australia (which, the company acknowledges, will contribute to the CO2 emissions associated with the venture).
  • Will Matosinhos refinery become a green neighbourhood?
  • The Matosinhos refinery near Porto was in use from 1970 to 2021 (Image courtesy of MVRDV) A multinational team has won a design competition to turn the 52-year-old Matosinhos oil refinery in Portugal into a green neighbourhood. The former refinery will feature housing, a university campus and a large park.
  • How much gas does Spain & Portugal get from the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline?
  • An adjacent field is estimated to contain between 3.5¡ª12 trillion cubic feet of gas. Spain and Portugal both get their gas from the Maghreb¨CEurope Gas Pipeline. This pipeline came on stream on 1 November 1996 and it was commissioned on 9 November 1996. The Spanish section was inaugurated in Cordoba on 9 December 1996.
  • Could membrane separation save money on oil & gas refining?
  • According to Neel Rangnekar, a chemical engineer with Exxon and a team member on the new paper, switching from distillation to membrane separation could save up to 50% of the cost of heating the crude oil and 75% of the cost of electricity used in refining, amounting to at least $3.5 billion per year.
  • Why did Volkswagen build a lithium refinery in Setubal?
  • The refinery¡¯s home in Setubal is ideally placed, the team says, because of its proximity to both a major port and rail and road links in the city, allowing the easy transport of lithium in and out of the site. Volkswagen also ships cars from Setubal, so much of the infrastructure was already there.
  • Who is the design team for a new oil refinery?
  • The winning design team comprises Dutch architect MVRDV and landscaper Lola, Portuguese architect Ooda, American and Portuguese engineers Thornton Tomasetti and A400, and program advisor LiveWork. Before construction on the project can begin, the refinery will be dismantled and soil will be remediated, a task due to take four years.