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Source: Repsol
The textile industry is crucial for both Spain and Europe, generating over 7 million tonnes of textile waste annually. Of this amount:
Currently, the market for second-hand garment exports is facing significant saturation due to competition from Chinese firms, which offer lower-priced products. This competitive landscape complicates the export of that 20-25%, leading to an increased volume of European textile waste requiring further processing.
The business model is transitioning to favor more sustainable production, with Spain leading this transformation in Europe. This initiative is a long-term project that necessitates collaboration across sectors and society, as exemplified by the agreement established today between the Repsol Foundation and Coleo.
With this partnership, the Repsol Foundation now holds stakes in five positive triple-impact companies, thereby contributing to a sustainable and inclusive energy transition.
Coleo Network is part of the Spanish group Coleo, which is at the forefront of textile circularity in Europe. The group is dedicated to transforming the textile industry into a more sustainable, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly model. It employs industrial processes that add new value to used garments and develops circular solutions ranging from waste management to industrial recycling, including the production of recycled fibers, fabrics, and garments.
Coleo Network is actively constructing a European network for the management and recovery of textile waste. By utilizing proprietary technology and innovative industrial processes, Coleo aims to create a viable economic model for waste recovery.
With three waste management plants in Spain (located in Galicia and Catalonia) and another in Toulouse, France, Coleo is positioned for further expansion, especially with the Repsol Foundation joining as a shareholder.
From its inception as waste managers, Coleo has prioritized social integration and job creation. Having established a successful model in collaboration with various associations, the company employs individuals from groups at risk of social exclusion at each of its facilities. Currently, over 50% of the workforce at their plants comprises individuals from these groups.
The Repsol Foundation has taken the lead in directly supporting companies that facilitate a sustainable and inclusive energy transition, generating a positive “triple impact” on society, the environment, and business. This strategy is implemented across four key areas:
In addition to Coleo Network, the Repsol Foundation, through its investee company Repsol Impacto Social, holds stakes in other companies with a positive “triple impact.”
The ORLEN Group has officially commissioned a 42.2 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) farm at its Mažeikiai refinery in Lithuania. Expected to generate approximately 45 GWh of clean electricity annually for ORLEN Lietuva, the project marks the Group’s largest on-site renewable energy installation to date and serves to cut operational overhead while accelerating decarbonization across its industrial asset portfolio.
Delivered by Białystok-based contractor Electrum, the €35 million investment—which secured €2.5 million from the European Union’s Modernisation Fund—highlights the export of Polish engineering expertise into major CEE energy infrastructure projects.
Kořensko hydroelectric power plant is currently undergoing the largest modernization in its 34-year history. Operated by ČEZ as part of the Vltava cascade, the multi-million-crown overhaul will replace core machinery across both of its turbine units, resulting in safer, greener, and significantly more efficient operations by next spring.
Enefit, the electricity subsidiary of Estonia's Eesti Energia, has officially opened the Strzałkowo solar park in central Poland. The newly launched facility marks a major milestone for the company, standing as its largest single renewable energy project in the Polish market to date.
The Strzałkowo facility boasts an impressive installed capacity of 45 megawatts (MW). Operational estimates suggest the site will generate approximately 45 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean electricity annually.