Two workers killed in explosion at biodiesel plant in Spain

Two workers were killed on Thursday in an explosion at a biodiesel plant in the Spanish town of Calahorra, in the northern region of La Rioja.

Emergency services received a call at 1246 PM local time that a tank containing biodiesel feedstock had exploded, the regional government said. The tank is one of four located next to one another, two containing biodiesel and two with crude oil. According to the government, the deflagration in one of the tanks caused cracks and leaks in others.

Local media showed footage of the explosion site sending up thick black smoke, which the La Rioja government said was toxic but moving away from the town. The Calahorra city council said the fire had been extinguished in the early hours on Friday.

Authorities are now investigating the cause of the explosion.

The two deceased workers were not part of the plant’s staff, according to local media reports. They were subcontractors doing a welding job, Spanish daily El Pais reported, citing a source from the investigation. One of the victims was a local man in his thirties, while the other was a Romanian national living in the area, several news reports mentioned.

Other workers at the plant were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. A group of 250 children on an excursion at a nearby bird park was also evacuated.

The plant is owned by a local firm Iniciativas Bioenergeticas SL, which produces biodiesel, glycerin and other by-products at the Calahorra facility.

Spanish environmentalist group Ecologistas en Accion on Thursday released a statement saying it had filed over the years multiple complaints against the plant’s management for failing to meet the standards required to handle dangerous chemicals. It said it had reported Iniciativas Bioenergeticas in 2014 for dumping chemicals into a water ditch used for irrigation and demanded the plant’s closure.

According to the group, the La Rioja government’s own agents investigated the plant and initiated sanctions procedures, but nothing ever came out of it.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!