Moeve Chemicals’ phenol plant in Huelva, Spain, has become the first facility to be audited under a new ISCC Carbon Footprint Certification (CFC) for the production of biomethane-based products.
The scope includes the main products manufactured at its Palos de la Frontera site – phenol, acetone, alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) and cumene.
A spokesman said the initiative “marks a major step forward in the development of certification mechanisms for chemical products with a lower carbon footprint, while enabling chemical producers and their customers to substantiate their decarbonisation efforts.”
The facility, located in southern Spain, was a pilot plant to test a new international certification scheme which utilises Moeve Chemicals’ Low Carbon methodology and expertise.
The methodology aims to show transparency, duplicability and credibility in product carbon footprint assessments and accounting when a mitigation methodology is used in the manufacture of chemical products, such as biomethane.
The initiative, carried out by Moeve Chemicals, ISCC and Meo Carbon Solutions, reflects a shared ambition across industry: ‘to move beyond individually developed company methodologies towards scalable approaches that can contribute to the decarbonisation of chemical value chains’.
“Decarbonising the chemical industry requires innovation in the way we produce, but also robust and transparent mechanisms to demonstrate the progress that is being made,” said Alfredo Lopez, Global Head of Safety, Energy & Sustainability at Moeve Chemicals.
“We are particularly proud that the experience we have built through the development and implementation of our Low Carbon methodology has contributed to ISCC’s work on this new certification framework, and that our Palos facility has been selected to pilot its application in an industrial environment.
“This is an important step in moving from a company solution towards an approach with the potential to support the transformation of the wider industry.”
Turning industrial expertise into the development of a certification framework
Moeve Chemicals’ contribution to the new ISCC framework builds on the company’s experience in developing a proprietary system for the production of Low Carbon chemical solutions.
The methodology is independently verified by AENOR.
In July 2026, Moeve Chemicals completed the verification of its entire global manufacturing network.
Following verification of facilities in Brazil and Shanghai, all Moeve Chemicals production plants are now fully equipped to manufacture and supply products under its Low Carbon approach.
The knowledge gained through development, third-party verification and global implementation has provided practical industrial experience in support of ISCC’s work on the new certification.
The pilot audit at Moeve Chemicals’ Palos de la Frontera plant represented an important milestone in that process, allowing the proposed certification requirements to be tested in an operating chemical facility.
From Pilot Certification to Renewable-Based Products
The principles underpinning the ISCC CFC framework can also be applied to chemical products manufactured from renewable feedstocks, in support of transparent and independently verified Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) claims.
Building on its work, Moeve Chemicals has become the first company to apply the ISCC CFC framework to an ISCC PLUS certified renewable-based chemical product (ISCC mass balance approach).
The certification provides independent verification of the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of NextLab R100, produced at the company’s Puente Mayorga site in Spain.
Moeve comprises over 11,000 employees, and is committed to sustainable energy and mobility in support of Europe’s energy transition and decarbonisation drive.
After operating as Cepsa for more than 90 years, the company launched its new brand, Moeve, in 2024 to accelerate production of sustainable energy powered by green molecules, including green hydrogen and second-generation biofuels, as well as sustainable chemical products.
