Finland's Kemira expands Tarragona site with carbon plant

18 Feb '26

2 min read

Finland's Kemira expands Tarragona site with carbon plant

Pic: Shutterstock/Quality Stock Arts

Insights

Kemira plans to invest about €20 million (~$21.6 million) to build a plant at its Tarragona site in Tarragona, Spain, to reactivate spent activated carbon for drinking water and wastewater treatment in Iberia.
The plant, expected by 2029, will boost PFAS and micropollutant removal capacity and support Kemira's goal to double water-related revenue.

Kemira plans to expand its Tarragona manufacturing site in Spain by building a plant to reactivate spent activated carbon for the drinking water business in Iberia. The new plant would add significant capacity to reactivate activated carbon for the region’s drinking water and wastewater market.

This strategic expansion project is yet another step towards Kemira’s long-term ambition to double the water-related revenue. The pre-engineering phase of the project is currently starting, and the new plant is expected to be operational at the end of 2029, depending on the timeline of the final investment decision and environmental permitting process. The total value of the investment is expected to be around EUR 20 million.

“Tightening regulation drives the demand for efficient PFAS and other micropollutants removal from drinking water and wastewater. Kemira supports its?customers with new water treatment solutions, including reactivation services. Building this new capacity in Spain will strengthen our local water treatment offering, allowing us to capitalize on increasing demand in the region”, says Tuija Pohjolainen-Hiltunen, Executive Vice President, Water Solutions at Kemira.

Activated carbon is the most common technology to remove odor and taste in drinking water, as well as micropollutants, including the harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances?(PFAS) in water treatment applications. Reactivation regenerates spent granular or pelletized activated carbons, making them ready for reuse.