Bondalti opened a delegation in Madrid, which constitutes an important milestone in the consolidation and growth strategy in Spain.
With the new offices in the capital, the company intends to expand its operations in the Spanish market and establish a bridge between the structures of the two neighboring countries, in its three business areas: Industrial Chemistry (production of chlorine, aniline and their derivatives), Water Treatment and Recycling and Green Energy (production of green Hydrogen and Lithium).
The opening ceremony brought together about a hundred people, including the Portuguese ambassador to Spain, João Mira-Gomes, the director of AICEP in Spain, Joana Neves, and the president of Bondalti, João de Mello.
Bondalti is the largest Iberian chlorine producer, in terms of production capacity, and one of the main producers of aniline (an organic compound used in the manufacture of synthetic paints, antioxidants, polyurethane foam, and other products) in the world, exporting more than 90% of its production to various areas of the globe, including Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
In the area of Water Treatment and Recycling, through the Bondalti Water Solutions division, the company provides integrated solutions for the industrial, health, tourism and other large buildings and facilities, with 300 professionals distributed throughout Portugal, Spain and Angola. Equally relevant is the experience in the municipal sector, with treatment for human consumption and urban wastewater.
In the field of energy transition, the company is currently participating in a total of 15 projects related to green hydrogen in Portugal and Spain. It is a reference in Portugal in the hydrogen value chain, being the second Iberian producer of this element without direct use of natural gas.
In the green lithium value chain, Bondalti intends to respond on a large scale, ethically and resiliently, and without recourse to mining, to the needs of a rapidly growing sector, namely by increasing the demand for batteries for electric cars. To this end, it signed a collaboration agreement with the Australian company Reed Advance Materials (RAM), with the objective of building a lithium refinery at the Estarreja plant and commercializing this product in Europe, transformed in an environmentally sustainable way.
Bondalti's operations in Spain represent around 150 million euros in sales. Of the group's total of 700 employees, around 220 are involved in the activity in the neighboring country.
For João de Mello, “the opening of the Madrid offices is another step towards realizing Bondalti's commitment to a growth strategy based on geographical diversification and the complementarity of business areas. Our Iberian vocation, which in recent years has been achieved in a very consistent way, has now reached a new level of consolidation, while reflecting the strong ambition for growth of the entire company”.
Strong presence in the Spanish market
Bondalti's presence in Spain dates back to 2001, although its consolidation took place in 2019 with the acquisition and start-up of the Torrelavega plant, in Cantabria, which allowed the company to position itself as the main producer in the chlor-alkali segment in the Iberian market. For this purpose, it invested around 60 million euros in the modernization of an existing unit and in the most advanced production techniques, such as membrane chlorine technology, which stands out for its high energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, in 2021 Bondalti acquired the Spanish group Aguas Alfaro, one of the main Spanish operators in the wastewater treatment and industrial processes sector, thus reinforcing its commitment to the diversification of its business and its presence in Spain. In addition to the Alfaro industrial water treatment and recycling complex in La Rioja, this area of activity also includes a certified laboratory, also located in this autonomous community.
To support its activity, Bondalti already has seven delegations in the Spanish market: Barcelona, Seville, León, Lugo, Pontevedra, Vigo and now also in Madrid.
