MAIN SECTORS

Chemical

Solidity at the service of the productive network

The chemical industry has become a strategic sector for the economy of Castellón in recent decades. One of the most important petrochemical parks in Spain was created with the installation of the oil refinery in 1967, with companies such as bp Energía, UBE Europe, Iberdrola, Repsol Butano, CLH, Suez RR IWS Ibérica, Nipon Gases España, and Masol Iberia Biofuel. In fact, this group of companies generates the raw materials to supply more than 90% of productive economic activities..

The good health and stability of the sector make it one of the driving forces behind the development of the Castellón province and one of the driving activities of the corporate world, which provides services to different productive branches, such as textiles, food, vehicles, and ceramics. The latter’s main suppliers are the glazes, frits, and ceramic colours companies, one of the most solid segments of the chemical sector and a worldwide benchmark.

Export-oriented nature

One of the main reasons the chemical industry is so strong is its growth in the foreign market, making it the second largest export sector in the province, after ceramics. Around 20% of the chemical industry in the Valencia Region is in Castellón, according to Quimacova.

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Turnover in Castellón

€ 1.6 B

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Export value

€ 680 M

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No. of employees in this sector in 2023

3,600 people

Cosmetics and perfume

The main customers are the textile, ceramics, agri-food, footwear, and automotive industries, as well as the pharmaceutical industry with Zschimmer & Schwarz, Ineos and IFF.
IFF, a company located in Maestrat, is a market leader in aroma and perfume manufacturing, a sector that handled more than 10.4 billion euros in 2023, a 12.1% increase compared to the previous year, with a 20% growth in exports of the Spanish sector, which reached a value of 7.7 billion euros.

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