Austrian company Amiblu invests €4.2 million, creating 70 jobs in Tarragona

Austrian company Amiblu, a leader in the design and supply of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester (GRP) pipes and accessories for water and energy infrastructure, has invested €4.16 million and created 70 new jobs at its plant in Camarles (Tarragona). The company’s 35,000 m² facility in Catalonia, its only site in Spain, is undergoing multiple digitalization and circularity projects, including the acquisition of an automated cutting robot and an additional 10,000 m² for product distribution.

This project has been supported by €2.2 million in grants provided by Catalonia Trade & Investment – the business competitiveness agency for the Ministry for Business and Labour – through its high-impact business investment subsidy program, specifically funded by the Nuclear Transition Fund.

Jaume Baró, Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, visited the company’s facilities in Camarles on Tuesday, where he met with Wolfgang Stangassinger, the company’s CEO, and Xavier Arasanz, Amiblu’s Managing Director in Spain.

“We are proud to be the first GRP pipe factory in Europe to achieve carbon neutrality”

Xavier Arasanz, Amiblu’s Managing Director in Spain.

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During the meeting, Baró explained that this project "is very important for Catalonia because it creates quality jobs in a key industrial sector today, such as water infrastructure, especially in critical times like droughts." For the CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, "Amiblu is an example of commitment to sustainability and the type of projects that offer a quality alternative to the activity of nuclear power plants."

The Managing Director of the Camarles plant emphasized that "Amiblu’s GRP pipes, with their extended lifespan, offer a significant competitive advantage over traditional materials like concrete or steel. They are three times less carbon-intensive, lighter, easier to transport and handle, and more energy-efficient.” Arasanz also added, "Over the past four years, Amiblu’s Camarles production plant has reduced its CO2 emissions by 72%, from 1,700 tons of CO2 in 2020 to 470 tons in 2023. We are proud to be the first GRP pipe factory in Europe to achieve carbon neutrality."

Amiblu’s pipes are used for potable water, irrigation, sanitation, and industrial works. The Camarles plant currently employs over 250 people, including 70 new hires since 2023. Its production capacity exceeds 300 kilometers of pipes annually, serving projects across Europe, Canada, South America, and Africa. With the adoption of digitalization, robotics, new machinery, and an expanded workforce, the plant now operates continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

From a circularity perspective, Amiblu has, among other measures, installed 2,000 solar panels, generating 51% of the facility’s energy needs, and holds the highest green energy certification (indicating that 100% of the plant’s electricity comes from renewable sources), and also integrates circular production practices. Furthermore, all products manufactured in Camarles are covered by an Environmental Product Declaration.

Among its ongoing projects coming out of its Tarragona facilities, Amiblu is contributing to the construction of the new brine collector in Llobregat and, in the context of current drought challenges, to irrigation modernization projects across Spain, supported by Next Generation EU funds. Notable examples include building a new irrigation network for the Segarra-Garrigues Canal (Lleida), the most significant hydraulic project in Catalonia; modernizing the Colomers Reservoir Irrigation Community (Girona); and supplying 65 kilometers of GRP pipes for the Cardiel Siphon (Aragon), among others.

With over six decades of experience, Amiblu operates in 22 countries, has eight factories worldwide, and employs a workforce of more than 1,800 people, figures that make it the largest GRP pipe manufacturer globally.

Nuclear Transition Fund

This investment project by Amiblu has been supported by the Nuclear Transition Fund, managed by the Ministry for Business and Labour. The fund aims to drive energy transition, promote economic activity, and create jobs in regions impacted by nuclear plant closures, such as Baix Ebre. In December, the Catalonia Trade & Investment's CEO announced that the Nuclear Transition Fund had allocated approximately €26 million, benefiting 76 companies across three aid categories: competitiveness reinforcement, new business opportunities, and high-impact investment opportunities.